Mental Abilities: Genius, Savant and Autism

1.      Explain what "savant syndrome" means.

Savant syndrome: 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.

2. What does genius mean?  Explain the difference between genius and savant.

Genius: A person of extraordinary intellect and talent.

The difference between a savant and a genius is that a savant is born with it and a genius is not. A genius person is someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability while a savant is someone who has difficulties in learning, thought becomes talented in a specific are such mathematics, music, science

3. What is a stroke and how could it affect your mental functioning?

A stoke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function(s) due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can lead to death or affecting a part of the brain and not making it function. It can lead to inability to move, understand language, or inability in the vision are.

4. What is a functional MRI and how does it help us understand brain activity?

It measures the hemodynamic response (change in blood flow) related toneural activity in the brain or spinal cord of humans or other animals. It is one of the most recently developed forms of neuroimaging.

5. What is the corpus callosum and what role does it play in your brain's activity?

Is 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 hemispheres and facilitates interhemispheric communication.

6. What is epilepsy and how might it affect your brain's abilities?

Is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. This makes people have difficulties their whole life.

7. What is autism?

Autism causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other kids do. It's hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express themselves using words. Kids who have autism usually keep to themselves and many can't communicate without special help.

8. What is Asperger's Syndrome?

Is a neurobiological disorder that is part of a group of conditions calledautism spectrum disorders. The term "autism spectrum" refers to a range of developmental disabilities that includes autism as well as other disorders with similar characteristics.

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

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/genius

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

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

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epilepsy#Causes

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/asperger.html