[extropy-chat] Using rTMS to induce savant-like mental abilities

[Neil H.]

FYI, it looks like there's also some other publications and
popular-press articles regarding Snyder here:

http://centerforthemind.com/publications/publications.cfm

On 6/15/06, Neil H. <neuronexmachina at gmail.com> wrote:
> Back in 2003 there was a popular-press article on Allan Snyder's work
> with using transcranial magnetic stimulation to temporarily induce
> savant-like abilities in human subjects, reportedly having effects
> like drawing ability or Rainman-style counting:
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/22/magazine/22SAVANT.html?ei=5007&en=0497e5b30fc4a9d8&ex=1371614400&partner=USERLAND&pagewanted=all&position=
>
> It looks like there's now a publication on some of his results:
>
> http://www.perceptionweb.com/perabs/p35/p5539.html
>
> Title: Savant-like numerosity skills revealed in normal people by
> magnetic pulses
>
> Abstract: Oliver Sacks observed autistic twins who instantly guessed
> the exact number of matchsticks that had just fallen on the floor,
> saying in unison "111". To test the suggestion that normal individuals
> have the capacity for savant numerosity, we temporarily simulated the
> savant condition in normal people by inhibiting the left anterior
> temporal lobe of twelve participants with repetitive transcranial
> magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This site has been implicated in the
> savant condition. Ten participants improved their ability to
> accurately guess the number of discrete items immediately following
> rTMS and, of these, eight became worse at guessing as the effects of
> the pulses receded. The probability of as many as eight out of twelve
> people doing best just after rTMS and not after sham stimulation by
> chance alone is less than one in one thousand.
>
> (If you can't access the full-text PDF, let me know, and I can send you a copy)
>
> I'm still waiting to see similar results reproduced in other labs, but
> it's certainly interesting stuff.
>