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Acquired Savant Syndrome

Author: Winnie Mok 

Editors: Jonathan Chen, Hwi-On Lee

Artist: Emily Tai


Imagine you’re biking down a hill when all of a sudden, the brakes stop working. Before you know it, your body goes flying, and you slam into the ground headfirst. You lose consciousness, but when you wake up, the world seems different than before. Suddenly, you hear a melody and are able to replay it perfectly without ever having learned an instrument or studied music theory. Hours pass by as an overwhelming desire forces you to draw, your hands instinctively knowing where to place every dot and line, creating a masterpiece. Or maybe you start noticing mathematical patterns surrounding everything you interact with, including the swirl of the foam on your latte. While this may sound like something straight out of a science fiction movie, this is the reality for those with acquired savant syndrome. 

Acquired savant syndrome, or sudden genius syndrome, is a condition where an individual suddenly gains remarkable abilities in fields like art, music, or mathematics. This phenomenon is a subset of a broader classification known as savant syndrome. What makes acquired savant syndrome so intriguing is that, unlike congenital savant syndrome where individuals are born with these capacities, acquired savants develop their abilities later on in life, with the talents being entirely unconnected with their previous experiences and knowledge. 

The likelihood of developing acquired savant syndrome is extremely rare—where only 10% of savants fall into this category. To put this into perspective, roughly 1 out of every 10 individuals with autism display signs of congenital savant syndrome, and less than 1 out of 100 individuals with other developmental disorders exhibit such symptoms. In fact, in 2015, only 32 cases of acquired savant syndrome had been documented worldwide. However, it should be noted that there are no specific criteria to definitively determine whether someone is a savant. 

Interestingly, savant syndrome disproportionately affects males, with approximately 6 male savants for every 1 female savant. Some have theorized that this statistic may be linked to autism, which is diagnosed at a higher rate in males than in females, at a ratio of 4 to 1. Testosterone may explain this discrepancy, as higher levels of this hormone, which males have more of, can impact the expansion of the left hemisphere in utero. 

Theories explaining the circumstances behind acquired savant syndrome often focus on neuroplasticity, specifically within the brain’s hemispheres. The left hemisphere is often associated with language, logical thinking, and social skills, while the right side is responsible for creativity. Using brain imaging, researchers found that in savants, certain areas of the brain were larger; there were higher levels of neurotransmitters, and connectivity was more robust in the right hemisphere than the left one. This supports research showing that the right hemisphere consumes a greater amount of energy, resulting in more activity than the left as indicated by glucose and oxygen usage. In the specific circumstance of acquired savant syndrome, it is hypothesized that damage to the left hemisphere (as is often the case) allows the right hemisphere to expand its capability. Think of it like this: if you lose an arm, you are forced to use the leftover limb, which in turn strengthens it. The same idea applies to the left and right hemispheres. 

Another theory explaining acquired savant syndrome likens brain trauma to taking lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Scientists speculate that psychedelic drugs, which influence a person’s emotional and mental state, increase creativity by heightening serotonin levels, which is often described as the “happiness hormone.” In the event of a brain injury, dying cells release serotonin into tissue nearby, which potentially enables new connections to form between brain regions. 

While acquired savant syndrome may sound like winning the lottery, putting in the effort to study for your test has a much higher success rate than simply banging your head against the wall in hopes of becoming a genius.

 

Citations:

Fagan, Abigail. “The Mystery of Sudden Genius | Psychology Today.” Psychology Today, 5

Fitzgerald, Susan. “Studying Acquired Savant Syndrome May Increase Understanding of

Creativity.” Brain & Life, Dec. 2021, brainandlife.org/articles/understanding-creativity-

Gorvett, Zaria. “The Mystery of Why Some People Become Sudden Geniuses.” BBC , 6 Jan.

“The Acquired Savant: A Look into Acquired Savant Syndrome.” Brain Injury Law Center,

2024.

Treffert, Darold A. “Brain Gain: A Person Can Instantly Blossom into a Savant--and No One

Knows Why.” Scientific American, 25 July 2018,

www.scientificamerican.com/blog/observations/brain-gain-a-person-can-instantly-

Treffert, Darold A. “Accidental Genius.” Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2015,

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