Savant Syndrome Is a Highly

Savant syndrome is a highly fascinating look into how the brain works and how individuals who do not function the same way everyone else does are sometimes able to do amazing things. In the past these people were called "idiot savants," but that term is no longer used. Instead, they are now said to have savant syndrome. They generally have very low IQs and they may need help with basic tasks. There are many "normal' things in life that they cannot do and do not understand, but yet they are able to draw, paint, make music, or perform amazing calculations that would be impressive even in a person whose IQ was average or above average. These kinds of talents also sometimes appear in people who have certain types of dementia, even if they could not have done anything similar in the past. The reason some of these people can do these things seems to be related to the way the left and right brain react to one another and how one side may compensate when the other side is lacking in ability or has been damaged in some way in the past.

Overall, savant syndrome is fascinating. It is not like anything else, and the majority of people will never know anyone who has it. They will never be exposed to it unless they work in a profession where they see it or they have someone in their family who happens to have the syndrome. Sometimes, these people travel around and showcase what they can do by talking to audiences if they are capable. They can also travel and play piano, or exhibit their artwork to people who want to admire it and/or buy it. Some savants can do amazing feats of calculation in their heads, too, and they are often faster than calculators. It is truly amazing how they can do this, but it seems as though they are trading off so much that other people take for granted. Of course, they do not know what they are missing so it is likely not upsetting to them. For the most part, they can be helped to learn some of the more common activities that most people engage in and it does not hurt their abilities, but there have been a few cases where becoming more verbal has caused them to lose their talents.

People who have savant syndrome lead lives that are far from normal, but studying them is important. They appear to have increased blood supply to part of their brain, and a decreased flow to other parts. That is believed to be part of what accounts for what they can do, but there is no real understanding if the blood supply creates their abilities or if the blood supply is working to compensate for abilities that they do not have. SPECT studies show the increase, however, which is a provable part of how these people function and what makes them different from the rest of society. Even people with genius-level IQs cannot do what these savants can do. For example, many people can learn to play the piano well, and some can even play "by ear" - without the need for sheet music. Few, however, can hear a piece played once and then sit down and play it perfectly the first time, even when they have never had a piano lesson. The tradeoff for something such as this is usually mental retardation, severe autism, blindness, or something else that greatly restricts the kind of life that could be lead.