Brain Gain: A Person Can Instantly Blossom into a Savant--and No One Knows Why

Brain(brān) Gain(gān): A Person Can Instantly(ˈinstəntlē) Blossom(ˈbläsəm) into a Savant(saˈvänt,sə-)–and No One Knows Why

Some people suddenly become accomplished(əˈkämpliSHt) artists(ˈärtist) or musicians with no previous(ˈprēvēəs) interest or training. Is it possible innate(iˈnāt) genius(ˈjēnyəs) lies dormant(ˈdôrmənt) within everyone?

By Darold A. Treffert

Savant syndrome(ˈsinˌdrōm) comes in different forms. In congenital(kənˈjenətl) savant syndrome the extraordinary(ikˈstrôrdnˌerē,ˌekstrəˈôrdn-) savant ability surfaces in early childhood. In acquired(əˈkwī(ə)r) savant syndrome astonishing(əˈstäniSHiNG) new abilities, typically in music, art or mathematics(maTH(ə)ˈmatiks), appear unexpectedly in ordinary persons after a head injury(ˈinjərē), stroke(strōk) or other central(ˈsentrəl) nervous(ˈnərvəs) system (CNS) incident(ˈinsidənt) where no such abilities or interests were present(priˈzent,ˈprezənt) pre-incident(pri).

But in sudden savant syndrome an ordinary person with no such prior(ˈprīər) interest or ability and no precipitating(prəˈsipəˌtāt ) injury or other CNS incident has an unanticipated(ˌənanˈtisəˌpātid), spontaneous(spänˈtānēəs) epiphany(iˈpifənē)-like moment where the rules and intricacies(ˈintrikəsē) of music, art or mathematics, for example, are experienced(ikˈspi(ə)rēənst) and revealed(riˈvēl), producing almost instantaneous(ˌinstənˈtānēəs) giftedness and ability in the affected(əˈfektid) area(ˈe(ə)rēə) of skill sets. Because there is no underlying disability such as that which occurs in congenital(kənˈjenətl) or acquired(əˈkwī(ə)r) savant syndromes, technically sudden(ˈsədn) savant syndrome would be better termed sudden genius.

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https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/brain-gain-a-person-can-instantly-blossom-into-a-savant-and-no-one-knows-why/