<p>I believe the answer lies in minicolumnar morphology in the neocortex. It's been shown that the minicolumns of autsitics and gifted individuals have narrower minicolumns, with greater spacing between each minicolumn. It's speculated that this creates an increased ability to distinguish percepts. Here is a paper on the topic:</p>

<p>Casanova MF, Switala AE, Trippe J, &amp; Fitzgerald M. (2007) <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17947291">Comparative minicolumnar morphometry of three distinguished scientists.</a> <em>Autism</em> 11(6):557-69.</p>

<p>I recommend reading through more of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Casanova">Casanova</a>'s work on the topic if you're interested.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-27T10:11:44.330Z
+1 Thanks for your answer.
draks ...
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2012-06-27T10:04:43.120Z
2012-08-08T20:21:45.573Z
2012-08-08T20:21:45.573Z
Preece
<p>There are the examples of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Serrell" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Orlando Serrell</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Temple Grandin</a>, who remember quite a lot, due to autism. </p>

<p><strong>How do their brains compare to a standard brain?</strong></p>

<p>See also: <a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/1282/370">Partitions</a> and <a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/1283/370">Volume</a>:</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-25T21:36:09.533Z
A question that deals more with CPU can be found here:
[Theoretical limit to the use of mental faculty of the brain](http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/1024/370)
draks ...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-26T00:26:53.403Z
Just to clarify: (a) is this question about the two specific individuals you mention or about Savants in general? (b) is this question about any brain differences or just brain differences in memory related areas (c) or is it about behavioural measures of memory and only about brains to the extent that brains constrain memory?
Jeromy Anglim
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2012-06-26T06:17:40.923Z
@JeromyAnglim, a) Savants in general b) only memory related and c) I didn't get.
draks ...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-26T06:23:49.720Z
Thanks for the info. The third point is about the importance you place on a neural explanation. For example, behavioural results might show simply that savants differ on psychometric tests of memory. Now of course at some level, we assume that test scores relate to something in the brain, but we have a choice. We can focus on what are the actual observed differences in functioning or we can focus on brain differences. It depends on your research question.
Jeromy Anglim
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2012-06-26T09:27:14.080Z
@JeromyAnglim focus on the brain differences, please.
draks ...
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-06-26T10:17:58.340Z
Related: [Mathematical Discoveries that were made or supported by Savants](http://math.stackexchange.com/q/163065/19341)
draks ...
<autism><savant-syndrome><neurology><long-term-memory>
How do the brains of savants such as Orlando Serrell and Temple Grandin compare to a standard brain?
draks ...
# How do the brains of savants such as Orlando Serrell and Temple Grandin compare to a standard brain?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-06-25)

There are the examples of [Orlando Serrell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Serrell) and [Temple Grandin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin), who remember quite a lot, due to autism.

**How do their brains compare to a standard brain?**

See also: [Partitions](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/1282/370) and [Volume](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/1283/370):

**Tags:** autism, savant-syndrome, neurology, long-term-memory

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: A question that deals more with CPU can be found here: [Theoretical limit to the use of mental faculty of the brain](http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/1024/370)  
> **username_1**: Just to clarify: (a) is this question about the two specific individuals you mention or about Savants in general? (b) is this question about any brain differences or just brain differences in memory related areas (c) or is it about behavioural measures of memory and only about brains to the extent that brains constrain memory?  
> **username_0**: @JeromyAnglim, a) Savants in general b) only memory related and c) I didn't get.  
> **username_1**: Thanks for the info. The third point is about the importance you place on a neural explanation. For example, behavioural results might show simply that savants differ on psychometric tests of memory. Now of course at some level, we assume that test scores relate to something in the brain, but we have a choice. We can focus on what are the actual observed differences in functioning or we can focus on brain differences. It depends on your research question.  
> **username_0**: @JeromyAnglim focus on the brain differences, please.  
> **username_0**: Related: [Mathematical Discoveries that were made or supported by Savants](http://math.stackexchange.com/q/163065/19341)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-06-27. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

I believe the answer lies in minicolumnar morphology in the neocortex. It's been shown that the minicolumns of autsitics and gifted individuals have narrower minicolumns, with greater spacing between each minicolumn. It's speculated that this creates an increased ability to distinguish percepts. Here is a paper on the topic:

Casanova MF, Switala AE, Trippe J, & Fitzgerald M. (2007) [Comparative minicolumnar morphometry of three distinguished scientists.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17947291) *Autism* 11(6):557-69.

I recommend reading through more of [Casanova](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Casanova)'s work on the topic if you're interested.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: +1 Thanks for your answer.  

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