Savant syndrome
Savant syndrome (/ˈsævənt, sæˈvɑːnt/ SAV-ənt, sə-VAHNT, US also /səˈvɑːnt/ sav-AHNT) is a phenomenon where someone demonstrates exceptional aptitude in one domain, such as art or mathematics, despite significant social or intellectual impairment.[1]
"Savant" redirects here. For other uses, see Savant (disambiguation).Savant syndrome
Autistic savant, savant syndrome (historical)[1]
General mental disability with certain abilities far in excess of average[1][2]
Congenital, acquired[3]
~1 in a million people[4]
Those with the condition generally have a neurodevelopmental condition such as autism or have experienced a brain injury.[1] About half of cases are associated with autism, and these individuals may be known as autistic savants.[1] While the condition usually becomes apparent in childhood, some cases develop later in life.[1] It is not recognized as a mental disorder within the DSM-5, as it relates to parts of the brain healing or restructuring.[5]
Savant syndrome is estimated to affect around one in a million people.[4] The condition affects more males than females, at a ratio of 6:1.[1] The first medical account of the condition was in 1783.[1] Approximately half of savants are autistic; the other half often have some form of central nervous system injury or disease.[1] It is estimated that between 0.5% up to 10% of those with autism have some form of savant abilities.[1][6][7] It is estimated that there are fewer than a hundred prodigious savants, with skills so extraordinary that they would be considered spectacular even for a non-impaired person, currently living.[1]
Mechanism[edit]
Psychological[edit]
No widely accepted cognitive theory explains savants' combination of talent and deficit.[12] It has been suggested that individuals with autism are biased towards detail-focused processing and that this cognitive style predisposes individuals either with or without autism to savant talents.[13] Another hypothesis is that savants hyper-systemize, thereby giving an impression of talent. Hyper-systemizing is an extreme state in the empathizing–systemizing theory that classifies people based on their skills in empathizing with others versus systemizing facts about the external world.[14] Also, the attention to detail of savants is a consequence of enhanced perception or sensory hypersensitivity in these unique individuals.[14][15] It has also been hypothesized that some savants operate by directly accessing deep, unfiltered information that exists in all human brains that is not normally available to conscious awareness.[16]
Neurological[edit]
In some cases, savant syndrome can be induced following severe head trauma to the left anterior temporal lobe.[1] Savant syndrome has been artificially replicated using low-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation to temporarily disable this area of the brain.[17]
History[edit]
The term idiot savant (French for "learned idiot") was first used to describe the condition in 1887[24] by John Langdon Down, who is known for his description of Down syndrome. Down described approximately ten cases of youth he had known with unusual mental powers, like "verbal adhesion" (eg. memorizing books read once), photographic memory for artistic drawing or model-building or music, autobiographical memory, arithmetic & calendrical calculation, & always knowing the current time down to the minute. Down noted that they were all male, none had a family history of similar talents, and that the extraordinary memory was usually associated with "very great defect of reasoning power".
The term idiot savant was later described as a misnomer because not all reported cases fit the definition of idiot, originally used for a person with a very severe intellectual disability. The term autistic savant was also used as a description of the disorder. Like idiot savant, the term came to be considered a misnomer because only half of those who were diagnosed with savant syndrome were autistic. Upon realization of the need for accuracy of diagnosis and dignity towards the individual, the term savant syndrome became widely accepted terminology.[1][18]