What Is Savant Syndrome?
Savant syndrome people have serious mental or physical disabilities along with remarkable and spectacular talents. This is an exceedingly rare phenomenon, and in simpler terms, it could be described as "a person with below-average intelligence having special talents in specific areas." The individuals with savant syndrome are traditionally referred to as autistic savant, idiot savant, and retarded savant. These terminologies arose due to the idiotic behavior of savant syndrome people. Also, this syndrome is often associated with autism, hence the name autistic savant syndrome. For the proper accuracy, detailed diagnosis, and to add dignity for the people with this condition, the term savant syndrome was accepted worldwide. It has been said that the first savant syndrome case was seen in Germany in 1751, and the name savant came into use in 1887 by doctor J. Langdon Down. This doctor was known for the description of Down syndrome before.
What Are the Causes of Savant Syndrome?
The causes of savant syndrome were not known before, and some researchers hypothesized that it could be caused by the change in the gene. It was believed that it was caused due to the damage to the left hemisphere of the brain in order to compensate for the injury occurring in the right hemisphere.
There are many theories of savant syndrome; however, not even one theory is clear and sufficient. The biological development theory includes genetic, neurochemical, frontal, temporal lobe damage, and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). The cognitive theory includes deficits in executive function, abstract thinking, and highly developed procedural memory. The modularity of mind hypothesis proposed that behavioral functions are disrupted, and the mind exhibits a striking modular organization.
It has been said that any theory that explains the savant syndrome explains the link of savant with autism and the islands of exceptional ability because savant skills often coexist with various developmental disabilities, including autistic disorder. Autism is a complex of neurodevelopmental disorders, which is known as autistic spectrum disorders. It is a collective term that is given to individuals with developmental disabilities that impair the way they interact and communicate with others. In some cases, savant syndrome can occur following severe head trauma or brain injury in the left anterior temporal lobe.
What Are the Symptoms of Savant Syndrome?
There are two components of the savant syndrome, and they are often the sign of this condition.
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An increasing memorizing ability, record all detail they see or repeat a work endlessly and efficiently.
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A way of putting this ability into use. The importance of putting this ability into use should not be underestimated.
The skills of people with savant syndrome are narrow but occur within a constant range of human mental functions. As already discussed, the most common thing they have as normal humans is considerable feats of memory. In some people, there may be some specific skills, and in others, several skills coexist simultaneously. The most important thing to know is all the skills tend to be right hemisphere oriented. The following are the abilities that are found in savant individuals.
Memorization:
A common feature of savant syndrome is superior memory, and there are cases where savants memorized population statistics, the numbers in the telephone books, music books, and bus schedules.
Lightning Calculation:
There is enough data where savants exhibited instantaneous calculations of multiplications, square roots, subtraction, the determination of prime numbers, etc.
Calendar Calculation:
Another surprising thing about savants is the ability to identify the day of the week and the date when it falls. In some cases, the last, next, or forty thousand years before and after were identified.
Musical Ability:
These people are of musical genius, and they have perfect pitch, and they can play the entire music after hearing it only once.
Artistic Ability:
The artistic ability is not as common as musical abilities, but savants with exceptional sculpture, painting, and drawing skills have been reported worldwide.
Language Ability:
The language ability is fairly rare, but one case of a savant syndrome with central nervous system damage since birth has been reported who could read and write and even translate 15 to 20 languages. Another case of savant has been documented that includes a savant poet.
What Would Be the Dental Findings in Savant Syndrome Individuals?
Although there could be no known savant-specific oral manifestations, oral problems might arise because of savant-related behaviors.
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Higher Susceptibility to Caries - Due to behavioral deprivation, poor tongue coordination, soft and sweetened food, they may have difficulty in teeth flossing and brushing.
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Bruxism - One of the sleep disorders in savant syndrome is the forceful grinding of the teeth.
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Unwanted Oral Habits - Tongue thrusting, lip biting, and picking of the gingiva.
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Gingivitis and Poor Oral Hygiene - They occur due to hormonal influences and heavy plaque accumulation.
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Traumatic Injuries - Some children with savant develop traumatic ulcerated lesions brought up by self-injury from picking, face tapping, or headbanging.
What Is the Incidence of Savant Syndrome?
It is said that about half of the people with savant syndrome (50 percent) are autistic, and 20 percent of people with autism have savant syndrome. Many autistic children have lower IQs (intelligence quotient), but autistic children with savant have an IQ over 35 percent. Also, there is no sex predilection in savant syndrome; when compared to girls, boys are more affected by autism. In a non-autistic population, less than 1 percent of people, including those with other developmental disorders and mental retardation, have savant syndrome.
How Is Savant Syndrome Diagnosed and Treated?
When a child has an extensive ability in one or more areas when compared to other children of the same age or IQ level, it can be diagnosed as savant syndrome.
Savant syndrome is not a disease or disorder to get treated, and it is just a condition where the child has extraordinary skills and memory in addition to a basic dysfunction of the brain. This dysfunction might be due to a developmental disability or a disorder associated with the central nervous system.
Conclusion:
Savant syndrome is not a disorder. Instead, it is a condition in which the savants have extensive abilities in one or more areas when compared to normal people of the same age or IQ level. It is rare but considered an extraordinary condition as people with serious mental disabilities has some “islands of genius,” which stands remarkable.
