User:Mr. Ibrahem/Savant syndrome
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Savant syndrome is a condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities far in excess of average.[1][2] The skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory.[1] This may include rapid calculation, artistic ability, map making, or musical ability.[1] Usually, only one exceptional skill is present.[1]
Mr. Ibrahem/Savant syndrome | |
---|---|
Other names | Autistic savant, idiot savant (historical)[1] |
Kim Peek, the savant who was the inspiration for the main character in the movie Rain Man | |
Specialty | Neurology, psychiatry |
Symptoms | General mental disability with certain abilities far in excess of average[1][2] |
Types | Congenital, acquired[3] |
Causes | Neurodevelopmental disorder such as autism spectrum disorder, brain injury[1] |
Frequency | c. 1 in a million people[4] |
Those with the condition generally have a neurodevelopmental disorder such as autism spectrum disorder or have a brain injury.[1] About half of cases are associated with autism, and these individuals may be known as "autistic savants".[1] While the condition usually becomes apparent in childhood, some cases develop later in life.[1] It is not recognized as a mental disorder within the DSM-5.[5]
The condition is rare.[1] One estimate is that it affects about one in a million people.[4] The condition affects males about 6 times as often as females.[1] The first medical account of the condition was in 1783.[1] Among those with autism, 1 in 10 to 1 in 200 have savant syndrome to some degree.[1] It is estimated that there are fewer than a hundred savants with extraordinary skills currently living.[1]