Monday, March 7, 2011

Mental Abilities: Genius, Savant and Autism

Explain in detail what "savant syndrome" means:
-A rare condition in which people with developmental disorders have one or more areas of expertise, ability, or brilliance that are in contrast with the individual's overall limitations.
What does genius mean?  Explain the difference between genius and savant.
-Is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight.
-Geniuses are usually people with very high intelligence. A savant is usually someone who has extraordinary mental abilities in a particular area.
What is a stroke and how could it affect your mental functioning?
-The rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain.This can be due to lack of blood flow caused by blockage, or a hemorrhage leakage of blood.
What is a functional MRI and how does it help us understand brain activity?
-A type of specialized MRI scan. It measures the change in blood flow related to neural activity in the brain or spinal cord of humans
or other animals.

What is the corpus callosum and what role does it play in your brain's activity?
- A wide, flat bundle of neural fibers beneath the cortex in the eutherian brain at the longitudinal fissure. It connects the left and right cerebral hemisphere and facilitates interhemispheric communication.
What is epilepsy and how might it affect your brain's abilities?
-A brain disorder involving repeated, spontaneous seizures of any type.

What is autism?
-A disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and    communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. 

File:Autism-stacking-cans 2nd edit.jpg

What is Asperger's Syndrome?
- Is an autism spectrum disorder that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests.









http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savant_syndrome

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