1. Explain in detail what "savant syndrome" means.
· Savant Syndrome is a rare, but spectacular, condition in which persons with various developmental disorders, including autistic disorder, have astonishing islands of ability, brilliance or talent that stand in stark, markedly incongruous contrast to overall limitations. The condition can be congenital (genetic or inborn), or can be acquired later in childhood, or even in adults. The savant skills co-exist with, or are superimposed upon, various developmental disabilities including autistic disorder, or other conditions such as mental retardation or brain injury or disease that occurs before (pre-natal) during (peri-natal) or after birth (post-natal), or even later in childhood or adult life. The extraordinary skills are always linked with prodigious memory of a special type — exceedingly deep but very, very narrow.
2. What does genius mean? Explain the difference between genius and savant.
· Extraordinary intellectual and creative power.
· A person of extraordinary intellect and talent
· A person who has an exceptionally high intelligence quotient, typically above 140.
· A strong natural talent, aptitude, or inclination: has a genius for choosing the right words.
· One who has such a talent or inclination: a genius at diplomacy.
· Genius is that you have the ability to all the things and savant you are really good at something but you can have another difficulty for example you may be mentally retarded.
3. What is a stroke and how could it affect your mental functioning?
· A stroke is a sudden loss of brain function. It is caused by the interruption of flow of blood to the brain (ischemic stroke) or the rupture of blood vessels in the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). The interruption of blood flow or the rupture of blood vessels causes brain cells (neurons) in the affected area to die. The effects of a stroke depend on where the brain was injured, as well as how much damage occurred. A stroke can impact any number of areas including your ability to move, see, remember, speak, reason and read and write.
· Effects of Right Hemisphere Strokes
· The right hemisphere of the brain controls the movement of the left side of the body so stroke in the right hemisphere often causes paralysis in the left side of the body. This is known as left hemiplegia.
· Survivors of right-hemisphere strokes may also have problems with their spatial and perceptual abilities. This may cause them to misjudge distances (leading to a fall) or be unable to guide their hands to pick up an object, button a shirt or tie their shoes. They may even be unable to tell right side up from upside-down when trying to read.
· Along with these physical effects, survivors of right-hemisphere strokes often have judgment difficulties that show up in their behaviour. They often act impulsively, unaware of their impairments and certain of their ability to perform the same tasks as before the stroke. This can be extremely dangerous. It may lead them to try to walk without aid or to try to drive a car.
· Survivors of right-hemisphere strokes may also experience left-sided neglect. This is a result of visual difficulties that cause them to "forget" or "ignore" objects or people on their left side.
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· Some survivors of right-hemisphere strokes will experience problems with short-term memory. Although they may be able to recall a visit to the seashore that took place 30 years ago, they may be unable to remember what they ate for breakfast that morning.
· Effects of Left Hemisphere Strokes
· The left hemisphere of the brain controls the movement of the right side of the body. It also controls speech and language abilities for most people. A left-hemisphere stroke often causes paralysis of the right side of the body. This is known as right hemiplegia.
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· Someone who has had a left-hemisphere stroke may also develop aphasia. Aphasia is a catch all term used to describe a wide range of speech and language problems. These problems can be highly specific, affecting only one part of the patient's ability to communicate, such as the ability to move their speech-related muscles to talk properly. The same patient may be completely unimpaired when it comes to writing, reading or understanding speech.
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· In contrast to survivors of right-hemisphere stroke, patients who have had a left-hemisphere stroke often develop a slow and cautious behaviour. They may need frequent instruction and feedback to finish tasks.
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· Patients with left-hemisphere stroke may develop memory problems similar to those of right-hemisphere stroke survivors. These problems can include shortened retention spans, difficulty in learning new information and problems in conceptualising and generalising.
· Effects of Cerebellum Strokes
· The cerebellum controls many of our reflexes and much of our balance and coordination. A stroke that takes place in the cerebellum can cause abnormal reflexes of the head and torso, coordination and balance problems, dizziness, nausea and vomiting.
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· Effects of Brain Stem Strokes
· Strokes that occur in the brain stem are especially devastating. The brain stem is the area of the brain that controls all of our involuntary functions, such as breathing rate, blood pressure and heart beat. The brain stem also controls abilities such as eye movements, hearing, speech and swallowing. Since impulses generated in the brain's hemispheres must travel through the brain stem on their way to the arms and legs, patients with a brain stem stroke may also develop paralysis in one or both sides of the body.
4. What is a functional MRI and how does it help us understand brain activity?
· Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
· MRI uses a powerful magnetic field, radio frequency pulses and a computer to produce detailed pictures of organs, soft tissues, bone and virtually all other internal body structures. The images can then be examined on a computer monitor, transmitted electronically, printed or copied to a CD. MRI does not use ionizing radiation (x-rays).
· It help us understand the brain because it tells us exactly which parts are moving and what they are doing whil you are moving or thinking, it can tell us if you have something wrong with your brain, you can find anything you want in your brain.
5. What is the corpus callosum and what role does it play in your brain's activity?
· The corpus callosum is a huge bundle of nerve fibers found in mammalian brains. It connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain, and is responsible for most of the communication between the two. It is composed of white matter, that is, myelinated nerve cells, or axons, whose primary function is to connect grey areas together with neural impulses. The corpus callosum is the largest white matter structure in the brain, found in its interior. Grey matter occupies the periphery
· Corpus Callosum what does in the brain :Dividing the two hemispheres is the corpus callosum, a white matter that forms a line between the hemispheres. Despite dividing them, the corpus callosum allows the two areas to communicate with each other.
· The left portion of the cortex involves processes that are responsible for reasoning and language abilities while the right side functions for creativity and spatial perceptions.
6. What is epilepsy and how might it affect your brain's abilities?
· Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases are discovered in developing countries.Epilepsy is more likely to occur in young children, or people over the age of 65 years; however, it can occur at any time. As a consequence of brain surgery, epileptic seizures may occur in recovering patients.
· Simple partial seizures
· Simple partial seizures are those attacks which show evidence of a localised onset, during which consciousness (responsiveness) is preserved. The discharge is usually confined to a single hemisphere and the symptoms are specific to the affected brain region. Depending upon which region of the cortex is affected the symptoms may be motor, sensory, autonomic (sweating, gastric discomfort, vomiting), or psychic (anxiety, deja vu).
· Complex partial seizures
· Complex partial seizures are those attacks which show evidence of a localised onset, but during which consciousness (responsiveness) is altered. The seizure is often associated with automatism, eg repetitive hand movements, smacking, chewing etc. There is often a postseizure confusion period. This seizure type is often confused with the absence seizure type (see below).
· Secondary generalised partial seizures
· These seizures are those attacks in which a partial seizure spreads to both hemispheres. The patient is unconscious and presents motor involvement with cramps.
7. What is autism?
· Autism is a developmental disability that comes from a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain. It is characterized by the abnormal development of communication skills, social skills, and reasoning. Males are affected four times as often as females. Children may appear normal until around the age of 30 months.
8. What is Asperger's Syndrome?
· Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, which is a lifelong disability that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people. Autism is often described as a 'spectrum disorder' because the condition affects people in many different ways and to varying degrees. (For more information about autism, please read our leaflet What is autism?)
· Asperger syndrome is mostly a 'hidden disability'. This means that you can't tell that someone has the condition from their outward appearance. People with the condition have difficulties in three main areas
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