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What is Savant Syndrome?

Savant Syndrome is a set of anomalous cognitive symptoms, which the researcher Darold Treffert defines as a pathological state according to which some people with mental disorders and despite their physical, mental or motor disabilities have a surprising ability or specific mental abilities. That is, a condition in which a person with a mental disorder (such as an autism spectrum disorder) demonstrates a profound and prodigious ability or ability, far superior to what would be considered normal.

People with Savant Syndrome can have either neurodevelopmental disorders (especially autistic spectrum disorders) or brain injuries. It is considered that one in ten people with autism show this type of skills, despite the fact that 50% of Savants have autism.

This syndrome was first described in the year of 1789 by Benjamin Rush, documenting the case of a patient with the ability to calculate the age of people in just seconds. From that moment the Savant phenomenon has fascinated the scientists dedicated to the study of the brain, although a satisfactory explanation of the syndrome has not yet been possible. The only thing scientists have established so far is an association between the syndrome and the brain damage that occurs in patients with progressive frontotemporal dementia, which causes them to develop surprising artistic skills, but not abstract or symbolic abilities. The role of chromosome 15 in the presence or absence of savant abilities is also suspected.

Characteristics and types of savants:

In general, the most common Savant skills are focused on 4 main categories:

• Art (music, painting and sculpture): they are characterized by being great musical performers (especially at the piano) painters and sculptors. They usually have innate abilities to understand and interpret music.

• Calculation of dates: some savants can memorize entire calendars and remember specific data referring to each of those days.

• Mathematical calculation: ability to perform complex mathematical calculations instantaneously and with great precision. For example, calculate prime numbers, decimals of pi or perform divisions with 100 decimals, all of course, mentally.

• Mechanical and spatial abilities: ability to measure almost exact distances without any instruments, construction of highly detailed models, memorization of maps and directions.

• In addition to these abilities there are other more unusual and in general more particular of the individual, such as ease of learning multiple languages, strong sense exacerbation, perfect appreciation of the passage of time without the need for watches.

Although Sage Syndrome refers to increased cognitive abilities, in many cases it is associated with deficits in other aspects, such as poor social skills or speech problems, and some researchers believe that it is related to the autistic spectrum or the Syndrome of Asperger.

References:

Corrigan, N. (2012). Toward a better understanding of the savant brain. Comprehensive psychiatry.