People who have savant syndrome, or sage syndrome, have outstanding abilities. They are musicians, painters and sculptors, with great wisdom and have even been described as geniuses.
One of the outstanding characteristics of savant syndrome is that they usually have innate abilities linked to memorization, mathematical calculation, can learn several languages and compose and interpret music.
To understand this syndrome, below we will describe the most relevant aspects about it.
What is savant syndrome?
Savant syndrome is a condition where impressive talent coexists in some area (music, arts, mathematics …) and a mental condition, such as autism but not limited to it.
Although Savant syndrome can present with any other mental condition, most cases are on the autism spectrum. Up to 37% of autistic people have a variant or some degree of this syndrome.
Therefore, it is important to make it clear that not everyone with Savant syndrome is autistic nor do all autistic people. In fact, it is unknown why certain autistics develop a certain degree of savantism and others do not.
People with this syndrome possess disproportionately developed talents or abilities compared to the general population, some of them even excelling among their peers.
Features of savant syndrome
Although the disorder does not have a homogeneous presentation, there are certain features that most officially registered cases demonstrate. We will mention some of the most relevant.
Prodigious memory
Savantism is characterized by the impressive talent that these people show, regardless of the area. They can develop skills in the music area, some in math and some in the arts.
However, they are all accompanied by an impressive memory. The memory of people with Savant has been described as deep, but narrow. Confined to the limits of her special ability.
That is, a person has incredible memorization of digits or letters, but demonstrates average abilities in other areas. This hyperspecialization in one area is unknown, but the existence of special cortical networks is proposed.
Communication difficulties with others
Savant syndrome is almost always accompanied by some cognitive deficit, but in most cases this tends to be autism. It is characterized, among many other things, by the person’s difficulty in communicating with others.
This deficit can cause anxiety and even sadness in the autistic person, when they find themselves unable to communicate their ideas fluently or feel pressured by the expectations of others about how to act.
Difficulties for interpersonal relationships
Interpersonal relationships are hindered by the little capacity for social interaction that these people show. However, this difficulty could partially explain the exceptional skill.
Francesca Happé , a cognitive neuroscientist, hypothesizes that those mental resources normally used during social interactions are put to work to carry out complex tasks that require hours and hours of practice.
High ability to perform complex calculations
Hypercalculia is a developmental condition characterized by a prodigious ability to perform mathematical calculations faster and more accurately than the average person.
A study published in 2009 estimated that the prevalence of hypercalculia in young people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders was 16.2%tag. Within this large group are those with savant syndrome.
The latter demonstrate excessively developed skills such as Date calculation , where the person can name the day for a specific date in seconds, thanks to their memorization and instant mathematical calculation.
High capacity to make constructions
Stephen Wiltshireis an example of the specialization of the architecture-oriented savant syndrome. Stephen has the ability to accurately draw the plans of cities such as New York, Rome, Madrid, Frankfurt and many more, with almost exact distances, comparable to the real plans.
Another example is Alonzo Clemons , an American sculptor capable of creating realistic sculptures of animals, objects or people just by seeing them once.
Extraordinary Musical Ability
A large percentage of autistics with savant syndrome develop an exceptional affinity for music, being able to play up to 22 instruments. It is unknown why this tendency to practice music exists.
For example, we have Derek Paravicini , a prodigal British musician who, despite his premature birth and blindness, could already play a number of pieces on the piano by the age of 4.
Excellent artistic skills
The exceptionality of people with this mental condition is not limited to music, but also to other arts. The atypical development of the neural pathways of these people, also observable in other autistic people, push them to create repetitive behaviors.
This excessive repetition and other neurological abnormalities (such as synesthesia) allow the person to develop in any field of art. An example of this is Stephen Wiltshire, who managed to capture the city of Rome in great detail.
High compression of other languages
Polyglottism is a less frequent ability than hypercalculia or hyperlexia in people with savant syndrome, however, some cases have been reported.
Among these, the most famous is Daniel Tammet , who is fluent in more than 10 different languages.
Powerful heightening of the senses
Synesthesia is the perception of the same sensation through different senses. That is, sensory perception through one sense (smell, sight, taste…) leads to the secondary and involuntary activation of another sense.
This sensory acuity could explain the affinity and dexterity that people with Savant have towards an ability or skill, since they process information from the external environment differently from the average person.
Another possible trait, related to the above point, is the obsession with details present not only in autistic people, but also in those with savant syndrome.
This cognitive obsession towards a task or action drives the person to repeat it over and over again until reaching the desired degree of perfection. This trait, along with sensory heightening, could explain the impressive talent.
Causes of savant syndrome
Currently there is no consensus on why these people develop extraordinary abilities, but limited to only one area or why certain autistic people develop this syndrome and others do not.
However, some factors that could influence the development of savant syndrome can be pointed out, such as:
Neurodevelopmental disorders
Kim Peek, the inspiration behind the movie Rain Man, was a man characterized by his memorization and advanced sensory processing. In an MRI study, they found abnormalities in Kim’s brain structure.
Among these wereagenesis of the corpus callosumandmacrocephaly. This anatomical atypicity could have been decisive when it comes to Kim’s cognitive development in certain areas, but his deficiency in others.
Another important feature to note is the disproportionate 6:1 ratio in men and women, respectively, with savant syndrome. One possible explanation is that, in the male fetus, the .
The left hemisphere may be more exposed to harmful prenatal influences. Circulating testosterone can impede neuronal growth and development on the left side and, as a compensatory response, the right side hypertrophies.
Left hemispheric dysfunction and growth on the right side is also an observable finding in people with autism and could explain why certain cognitive functions are impaired.
Brain injuries
Savant syndrome can be congenital (born with it) or acquired at some point in a person’s life. In fact, cases have been reported where neurotypical individuals develop a certain degree of savant after some brain pathology.
Tommy McHugh , British poet and artist, developed obsessive behavior in the arts after suffering a stroke.
On the other hand, patients in the early stages of frontotemporal dementia have also developed some level of savant syndrome .
Types of savant syndrome
In the savant syndrome, individuals may have only one well-defined ability or in rare cases have more than one ability, including an extraordinary memory. These skills are not all the same or at the same level, therefore three types of savant syndrome can be represented:
Prodigious
They are the ones with the highest cognitive ability and are therefore extraordinarily rare compared to the other two groups, their abilities are so outstanding that they are considered geniuses or prodigals.
It should be noted that of the people with savant, few reach a really high skill threshold. Examples of these are the hyper-realistic drawing and extraordinarily fast calculations, derived from the obsessive tendency towards skill.
Talented
They are those skills that are more prominent and attractive (draw attention) due to their cognitive disability, which not only contrast with their individual limitations, but also with other people, even with or without disabilities.
In the savant syndrome, the talented have autism spectrum disorders, the most expressed talents are musical and artistic; highlighting painting and sculpture. These skills are highly honed.
Specialists
Also called splinter skills savants, they are those individuals obsessed with memorizing trivial information, such as vehicle license plate numbers, street numbers, historical dates, maps, and other information of a similar nature.
The knowledge acquired in this group of savants tends to have little practice in real life, they are specializations towards a certain type of knowledge, which reflects the obsessive behavior of autistic people, with or without savant.
Treatment of savant syndrome
Savant syndrome is a clinical syndrome and not a curable disease. The person’s ability can be trained, reducing some behaviors that are associated with savant syndrome (communication problems) and leading to social integration.
People with savant syndrome can improve their communication and interpersonal socialization.
In this sense, Curriculum have been created that seek to channel and enhance the talent of the person, at the same time applying social and/or group therapies.
University Professional in the area of Human Resources, Postgraduate in Occupational Health and Hygiene of the Work Environment, 14 years of experience in the area of health. Interested in topics of Psychology, Occupational Health, and General Medicine.