Defining The Syndrome
A Closer Look at Savant Syndrome, Who it Affects
and the Biology Behind the Phenomenon
• By Diana Hagan
Overview…
• Definition of the syndrome and
description.
• When was savant syndrome
first characterized and the
history behind it.
• Various classifications within
the syndrome.
• What are the specific talents
associated?
• What is the most probable
explanation for the syndrome
from a biological standpoint?
•
Genius of Earlswood Asylum
James Henry Pullen
Defining the syndrome
• What is Savant syndrome?
– Savant Syndrome is a rare, but
spectacular, condition in which
persons with various
developmental disorders,
including autistic disorder, have
astonishing islands of ability,
brilliance or talent. Such
abilities are stunning
considering the persons overall
limitations due to their varying
developmental disorders.
How common is the
disorder?
- Approximately one in
The article that inspired my speech from
Scientific America Mind, special edition
written by Darold Treflert and Greg
Wallace.
ten (10%) of persons with
autistic disorder have some
savant skills. In other forms
of development disability,
mental retardation or brain
injury, savant skills occur in
less than 1% of cases.
The History
•
•
•
•
King's College Choir, Richard Wawro,
Edinburgh
The term 'savant' was not applied
until 1887 by Dr. J. Langdon Down.
Dr. J. Langdon Down gave a series
of lectures before the Medical
Society of London based on his 30year experience as Superintendent
of the Earlswood Asylum.
In the lectures he outlined 10
specific cases where he found there
to be a “striking contrast between
superiority and disability within the
same person.”
He coined the term idiot savant for
these extraordinary individuals,
linking those two words together
because at that time the term idiot
was an accepted scientific term for
IQ below 25, and savant, or
"knowledgeable person", was
derived from the French word savoir
meaning "to know".
Classifications
•
•
•
South Devon Coast, England
by Richard Wawro, Edinburgh
splinter skills. These include
behaviors such as obsessive
preoccupation with, and
memorization of, music and sports
trivia, license plate numbers, maps,
historical facts, or obscure items
such as vacuum cleaner motor
sounds, for example.
Talented savants are those
persons whose musical, artistic,
mathematical or other special skills
are more prominent and highly
honed, usually within an area of
single expertise.
prodigious savant is reserved for
those very rare persons in this
already uncommon condition where
the special skill or ability is so
outstanding that it would be
spectacular even if it were to occur
in a non-handicapped person
Typical savant skills
•
Music is the generally the most
common savant skill. (play by
ear, composition etc)
•
Artistic talent, usually
painting or drawing, is seen
next most frequently. (also
sculpture, calculation,
mechanical ability, distance
calculation)
Calendar calculating is
curiously and conspicuously
common among savants,
particularly considering the
rarity of that obscure skill in
the general population.
Other skills are occasionally
seen including multilingual
acquisition ability
•
•
Derek Paravicini
Derek, now in his early twenties, was born
premature, at 25 weeks, and weighing just
over half a kilogram. As a result of the oxygen
therapy required to save his life, Derek lost his
sight, and his development was affected too.
prodigious memory, a special kind of
memory-extraordinarily deep but very,
very narrow
Most Probable Cause
•
•
Quotes taken from “Islands of Genius” Darold Treflert
Left brain damage from
pre-natal, peri-natal or
post-natal CNS damage
with migratory, right brain
compensation, coupled with
corresponding damage to
higher level, cognitive
(cortico-limbic) memory
circuitry with compensatory
take over of lower level,
habit (cortical-striatal)
memory.
But why are males so over
represented within the
syndrome?
– the neurotoxic effect of
circulating testosterone on
the left hemisphere in the
male fetus based on
observations and reported
by Geschwind and
Galaburda.
Resources and Works sited
Works Sited:
“James Henry Pullen— The
Genius of Earlswood Asylum”
Darold Treffert, MD
“Islands of Genius” Scientific
American Mind Special Edition
By Gregory Wallace and Dr. Darold
Treffert
www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org
o
For further reading:
*USA Today article: "Science getting to roots
of autism"
The January 12, 2004 USA Today
The Key to Genius
Superb Wired Magazine article on Autistic
Savants
December 2003