What is savant syndrome and why is it not treated

What is savant syndrome

Savant syndromeThe savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future - This is a condition in which people with severe mental disorders (the same autism) and severe developmental disabilities demonstrate a pronounced genius in some narrow area. For example, in mathematics, or simply have a phenomenal memory.

Experts call this talent “an island of genius”. Thus, emphasizing that genius in the case of a savant is surrounded by a dark ocean of unconsciousness, inability to control oneself, to think reasonably.

Savant syndrome is very rare, with about one in a millionAdvanced Proficiency and Exceptional Ability in Second Languages man.

For the first time the term "savant" was used by the British scientist John Langdon Down (it was he who described the syndrome Down) in 1887. At the same time, people with an IQ below 25 began to be called "idiots." And John Down played in contrast.

He talked about amazing cases from his practice - mentally disabled children, one of whom recited the work by heart "The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire" (and easily repeated the text from beginning to end and vice versa), while others were great at drawing or considered. Dr. Down called these children "idiot savants;" savant in French means "scientist").

Then the researchers found that the term was incorrect. Almost all savants have low IQs, but still above 40. The definition was changed to "autistic savant" - as many savants showed signs of autism spectrum disorder.

But this option was also abandoned when it turned out that autism suffersThe savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future only about 50% of savants (according to someSavant Syndrome FAQs - up to 75%). Others have other forms of mental disorder or damage to the central nervous system (CNS).

As a result, scientists limited themselves to a term without epithets - savant syndrome, or savantism.

How does savant syndrome manifest?

Savants can showcase talents in a wide variety of fields. The only common feature is that in most cases, genius develops against a background of deep mental disability.

Most often, "learning" is manifested in one of fiveThe savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future spheres.

• Art, rare artistic talent.
• Memory, that is, the ability to memorize huge amounts of data at a glance in the smallest detail - numbers, landscapes, complex maps, texts.
• Arithmetic calculations, including the most commonIncidence of Savant Syndrome in Finland among savants, talent is the skill of calendar counting. People-calendars are able to name which day of the week this or that date falls within decades and even centuries. Many of them can tell exactly what they did on any day and hour of their lives.
• Music - for example, the ability to remember and reproduce any piece of music for the first time to the last note.
• Orientation in space. Savants with this gift remember exactly where what lies. They cannot get lost even in an unfamiliar city: they only need to glance at the map to understand where they are and where to go.

The most famous savant in the world - Raymond Babbitt from the movie "Rain Man». The hero of Dustin Hoffman had a very real prototype - a man who remembered more than 6,000 books by heart, possessed encyclopedic knowledge in the field of geography, music, literature, history, sports, knew the postal codes of all US cities and quoted telephone reference books.

Where does savant syndrome come from?

There is no exact data. Scientists are inclined to believe that this is a congenital genetic disorder. It manifests itself, in particular, by the fact that the brain of savants functions differently than that of healthy people. For example, they have accessExplaining and inducing savant skills: privileged access to lower level, less ‑ processed information to the so-called low-level, poorly processed information stored by neurons, and inaccessible to the majority in a conscious state.

Also, many savants have a damaged or even missing corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres of the brain. Trying to compensate for the deficiency, the brain establishes new neural connections, and in some cases this turns into the appearance of phenomenal memory.

In men, savantism occursThe savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future six times more often than women.

Sometimes savant syndrome occurs after severe traumaThe savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future head with damage to the left anterior temporal lobe of the brain. There are studies in which scientists have temporarily turned off this area, and volunteers showed some signs of savantism. In particular, the volume of the numbers they memorized increased or their drawing skills improved from memory.

There's a possibilityThe savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, futurethat the savant's abilities can be awakened in every healthy person - by temporarily drowning out certain areas of the brain, stimulating the creation of new neural circuits with the help of pills, other pharmaceuticals, meditations and others ways. But so far there are only a few studies on this score. There is no certainty that experimenting with the brain can improve its condition, and not harm it.

Can savant syndrome be cured?

Savant syndrome itself is not a disease and is not includedMental Health and Mental Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Conditions to the psychiatrists' handbook, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

Therefore, they treatSavant Syndrome FAQs not savantism itself, but only the underlying disease - for example, autism, Asperger's syndrome, CNS diseases, disorders associated with brain trauma. If it can be corrected, the signs of savant syndrome may disappear by themselves.

Often, after rehabilitation, talents are preserved and even help people to socialize, to find the application of their genius in society.