The Science Behind Savant Syndrome

The Science Behind Savant Syndrome

1) Definition of Savant Syndrome

a) Rare

b) Astonishing areas of ability

i) In contrast to areas of handicap

c) Fascinating phenomenon in cognitive psychology

d) Savant holds key to understanding memory and cognition

2) First recognized by Dr. J. Langdon Down

a) Coined term “idiot savant”

i) No longer used, inappropriate connotation

ii) Few savants have low IQs

3) Statistics

i) Fewer than 100 reported cases of prodigious savants in world literature

ii) Congenital

iii) Acquired in normal individual following CNS injury or disease

iv) Occurs more frequently in males than females 6:1 ratio

v) 10% of autistic persons have some savant abilities

vi) Often associated with premature birth history

vii) Many savants go unnoticed

4) Description of special savant abilities/savant skills

i) Always linked with incredible memory

(a) Very narrow

(b) Extremely deep

(c) Relies more on corticostriatal than cortico limbic

1. Cognitive used more commonly in normal people

ii) Skills usually manifested in one of six areas

(1) Calendar calculating

(2) Lightening calculating and mathematical ability

(3) Art, drawing, sculpture

(4) Music

(a) Usually piano with perfect pitch

(b) Most common savant skill

(c) Often co-exists with blindness and autism

(5) Mechanical abilities

(6) Spatial skills

iii) Can have unusual language abilities

iv) Skills can appear suddenly without explanation

(1) Can disappear just as suddenly

v) Other less frequent manifestation of skills

(1) Memorizing maps

(2) Visual measurement

(3) Extrasensory perception

(4) Unusual sensory discrimination

(a) Enhanced sense of touch and smell

(b) Perfect sense of timing without use of a clock

vi) Skills can be in one of three (3) categories

(1) Splinter skills

(a) Skills stand in contrast to person’s overall level of functioning

(2) Talented savants

(a) Person displays high level of ability in contrast to their disability

(3) Prodigious savants

(a) Rarest

(b) Ability is so spectacular in contrast to disability that it would be spectacular even if seen in a non-disabled person

5) Famous Savants

i) Rain Man

ii) Leslie Lemke, music

iii) Alonzo Clemens, sculptor

iv) Richard Wawro, painting

v) Stephen Wiltshire, drawing

vi) Tony DeBlois, music

6) Theoretical Explanations

i) Inherited skills

ii) Concrete thinking

iii) Left brain injury with right brain compensation

(a) Pre-natal, peri-natal, or post-natal

The Science Behind Savant Syndrome