The Genius / Autism Genes
Anecdotally, you may have heard (or read) of people with autism who are gifted or talented in the arts, music or math. Now researchers have found evidence that autism is associated with intellectual skills.
The finding has emerged from a study of autism among 378 Cambridge University students, which found the condition was up to seven times more common among mathematicians than students in other disciplines. It was also five times more common in the siblings of mathematicians.
No gene has actually been associated, and that’s the next step, but the incidence among family members for autism may suggest some genetic component. The Times Online, in referring to the work of Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, director of the autism research centre at Cambridge and lead scientist of the study wrote that the responsible genes could be evolutionarily beneficial but causes the disease "only if present in the wrong combinations".
On a related note, I found this book on Amazon Genius Genes: How Asperger Talents Changed the World
UPDATE: Read the reaction of Kristina Chew (Autism Vox), plus some insightful comments from her readers. She tells me, "I’m always a little wary about mentions of autism and "genius" and "savant skills" —-some of the family connections noted in the article were very interesting." I don’t have a link to the study itself, and it would be helpful, because with the little information I got from the Times article, connections between family members could be either genetic or a common environment/upbringing. It would be great to follow up on this study to find out genetics play a role with autism and similar conditions.
Tags: asperger syndrome, asperger talents, austism genes, brain, genetics of autism, genetics of intelligence, genius genes, intelligence, neurological disordersRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Genes, Genetics: Mental health and Behavior
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