Chapter 1. Savant Art Skills: In Autism and Dementia

Short Description

Jonathan's mother derives enormous satisfaction from her 14-year-old son's artwork. The young man has impressed professional art circles worldwide and his drawings command up to $2000 each. Most surprising, Jonathan has autism, a disorder that severely limits his ability to communicate.

Long Description

His mother describes how she went from thinking she had a handicapped child to realizing she had a gifted child. An after school program in which Jonathan participated as a 10-year-old, revealed the depth of his talent and emotion. The drawings provide a window into his world. Neurologist Bruce Miller marvels at the paradox of deficit and great strength that is sometimes found in those with autism. Jonathan's drawings seem to be instinctive creations. Obviously, his brain is a beehive of visual activity. In attempting to understand how such remarkable talent emerges, Miller has examined another group of extraordinary and unlikely artists- those suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Four years ago, 87-year-old Audrey was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. At the same time, she began to demonstrate unusual artistic talent. Her degenerative disease seemed to unlock an amazing ability to paint, much like a blind person might develop a better sense of smell. Miller has observed a similar creative ability emerge in several patients suffering from dementia. The left hemisphere of the brain is damaged in those having autism and in those with Alzheimer's. Somehow, the damage on the left side seems to strengthen the right side of the brain, which now expresses itself in a new way, most notably in pictures. Unfortunately for the Alzheimer's patient, the period of creativity will be short-lived. Eventually, the disease will ravage the right side of the brain as well. The remarkable cases of Jonathan and Audrey provide scientists with new insights into how our brains work. They also reveal the significant, although often hidden, potential of human beings.

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