It is estimated that one in every one hundred thousand people, worldwide, experiences a genetic neurological anomaly called ‘synesthesia’, which occurs when one sense in the brain is stimulated, and an entirely separate sense is involuntarily triggered simultaneously. Although knowledge of synesthesia has existed for at least three centuries, phenomenologists and neurologists have ceaselessly been both fascinated and baffled by this peculiarity. Scientists continuously research this subject with experiments that at first sound strange, such as whether or not monozygotic (also known as identical) twins experience their synesthetic hallucinations in the same way. However, researchers have begun exploring a possible correlation between attention-based learning disabilities, particularly Attention Deficit Disorder, and synesthesia.
Richard Cytowic and David Eagleman, authors of the book, Wednesday is Indigo Blue define synesthesia with specific qualifying criteria. These criteria have come to be understood as the main criteria for whether or not someone possesses synesthesia. Firstly, synesthesia is involuntary and automatic. The synesthete has absolutely no involvement in their hallucinations. They cannot control them, and they cannot make them happen. In an online review of knowledge regarding synesthesia Richard E. Cytowick explains the extent of the involuntariness of synesthesia, “Synesthesia is involuntary but elicited. It is a passive experience that happens to someone. It is unsupressable, but elicited by a stimulus that is usually identified without difficulty. It cannot be conjured up or dismissed at will, although circumstances of attention and distraction may make the experience seem more or less vivid.” The synesthete has no more control over their synesthesia than someone born with freckles has control over their freckles. Thus, if someone believes that they are synesthetic but must consciously focus to activate synesthesia then it is not synesthesia at all but merely a projection. If the image is in the mind’s eye of the experiencer than it is merely an imaginative projection. Secondly, important synesthetic images are spatially extended, meaning they often have a definite 'location'. Therefore, the hallucinations appear to inhabit real, physical space. Thirdly, synesthesia is an extraordinarily memorable experience in which the hallucinations are very powerful and ladened with effect.
It is difficult to say how many different kinds of synesthesia there are, although the most common is calendar synesthesia, in which the synesthete perceives months and days of the week as possessing their own specific colors. Some other varieties include: mirror-touch synesthesia, in which the synesthete experiences a physical sensation that they see happening to another person. Auditory-visual synesthesia, where the synesthete, when their auditory sense is stimulated with any kind of noise, but particularly music, the synesthete has a visual experience corresponding to the sound manifested as different shapes or colors. Personification synesthesia, in which the synesthete sees certain inanimate objects such as letters and numbers with different personalities. Smelling colors and tasting words are also among many other varieties of multi-sensory manifestations that characterize synesthesia. (Gross) There are a multitude of different symptoms but all distracting to a person attempting to focus.
It is difficult to say how many different kinds of synesthesia there are, although the most common is calendar synesthesia, in which the synesthete perceives months and days of the week as possessing their own specific colors. Some other varieties include: mirror-touch synesthesia, in which the synesthete experiences a physical sensation that they see happening to another person. Auditory-visual synesthesia, where the synesthete, when their auditory sense is stimulated with any kind of noise, but particularly music, the synesthete has a visual experience corresponding to the sound manifested as different shapes or colors. Personification synesthesia, in which the synesthete sees certain inanimate objects such as letters and numbers with different personalities. Smelling colors and tasting words are also among many other varieties of multi-sensory manifestations that characterize synesthesia. (Gross) There are a multitude of different symptoms but all distracting to a person attempting to focus.
The cause of synesthesia is controversial but two major theories stand. The first idea is that there is a neurological cross-wiring of senses where when the one sense is stimulated, another is also affected. In this theory that there are more connections in the brain or more of the bridges for electrical pulses that are called synapses. The second, more widely accepted, and researched theory is that synesthetes possess an overabundance of hallucination-inducing neurotransmitters, the chemical substance released when one neuron arrives at the end of the synapse. (Bascom) The neurotransmitter identified as primarily responsible for the hallucinations is serotonin S2A, this substance is overabundant in people with synesthesia.
There appears to be some kind of correlation between synesthetes and those possessing Attention Deficit Disorder. It is an intriguing, yet not very shocking, fact that 15% of synesthetes are reported to have Attention Deficit Disorder or “ADD.” This is a surprisingly large figure when compared to the 10% of Americans suffering from ADD, which would make synesthetes 50% more likely to have Attention Deficit Disorder. (CDC) With this heightened likelihood of Attention Deficit Disorder among synesthetes, the connection between the two appears undeniable at first.
Imagine never being able to read without tasting or smelling the words, or never being able to complete a mathematics problem because the numbers are in multiple colors. Imagine that you are attempting to focus on typing up an academic paper. Now imagine the sounds coming from the whirring of the computer’s internal cooling fan are making bright shapes and colors. Because your synesthesia is activated by these sounds, completing the paper is difficult because one would be distracted with a hallucination.
Imagine never being able to read without tasting or smelling the words, or never being able to complete a mathematics problem because the numbers are in multiple colors. Imagine that you are attempting to focus on typing up an academic paper. Now imagine the sounds coming from the whirring of the computer’s internal cooling fan are making bright shapes and colors. Because your synesthesia is activated by these sounds, completing the paper is difficult because one would be distracted with a hallucination.
Attention Deficit Disorder itself is characterized by inappropriate level of impulse control caused by malfunctioning or dwindling neurotransmitters: the chemicals that are responsible for limiting impulsive behavior. The chemical imbalances experienced in Attention Deficit Disorder are Synesthetes are said to have experiences that resemble the effects of certain kinds of hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD or magic mushrooms. These drugs increase the levels of dopamine in the brain. Dr. C.G. Boeree states this about the nature of dopamine, “ It is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, meaning that when it finds its way to its receptor sites, it blocks the tendency of that neuron to fire. Dopamine is strongly associated with reward mechanisms in the brain. Drugs like cocaine, opium, heroin, and alcohol increase the levels of dopamine, as does nicotine. If it feels good, dopamine neurons are probably involved!” Those with depleted levels of this hormone tend to experience more feelings of anxiety and sadness.
Synesthesia can be obtained artificially through the use of hallucinogenic drugs a such as phencyclidine (PCP), methylenedioxy amphetamine (MDMA), and LSD. In experiments on synesthesia it has been discovered that hallucinogenic drugs that both selectively activate the serotonin S2A receptors in the brain and heighten the levels of the hormone dopamine. (Connecticut Clearinghouse) (Drugs-Forum) Dopamine is a hormone primarily known for its role in the pleasure center to the brain, but is also responsible for the feeling of wanting and the process of working memory.
Although synesthetes supposedly possess a substantially higher chance of having Attention Deficit Disorder, it is likely that they have been misdiagnosed because individuals suffering with ADD tend to have extremely low levels of dopamine; to the point that sometimes Attention Deficit Disorder is misdiagnosed as depression (a psychological disorder characterized by low levels of serotonin and dopamine).
Those who experience the joined-sense anomaly, synesthesia, are not experiencing the lack of neurotransmitters responsible for maintaining attention and preventing acting upon spontaneous impulses. This strange correlation between synesthetes and people with Attention Deficit Disorder must be entirely situational caused by the phenomenon. Dr. Veronica Gross states in a frequently asked questions panel that, “...Synesthesia is not a disease. In fact, several researchers have shown that synesthetes can perform better on certain tests of memory and intelligence. Synesthetes as a group are not mentally ill. They test negative on scales that check for schizophrenia, psychosis, delusions, and other disorders.” Similarly to those who possess Attention Deficit Disorder, synesthetes are not unintelligent. In fact, synesthetes tend to be of a very high level intelligence. Synesthesia is not a psychological disease and is a beautiful gift to those who possess it.
Taking into consideration the evidence presented, while synesthesia is an interesting, rare, and even coveted anomaly the distraction it causes in scholarly pursuits puts it under the category of a learning disability. While Dr.Gross is correct in stating that it presents no negative effects of psychotic diseases, the distraction produced by this phenomenon ought to be considered a learning disability. Brain scanning technology as well as urine and saliva tests have made it possible to determine levels of different neurotransmitters. Chemically speaking, the neurotransmitter malfunctions associated with Attention Deficit Disorder and synesthesia cannot coexist in the same brain without the employment of hallucinogens. However, with the advent of this technology it is possible to scan those who claim to possess synesthesia and eventually develop more basic tests based on the findings from brain scans.
Bascom, Nick. "Unraveling Synesthesia." Unraveling Synesthesia | Genes & Cells | Science News. Society for Science & the Public, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Sept. 2012. <http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336404/title/Unraveling_synesthesia>.
Synesthesia can be obtained artificially through the use of hallucinogenic drugs a such as phencyclidine (PCP), methylenedioxy amphetamine (MDMA), and LSD. In experiments on synesthesia it has been discovered that hallucinogenic drugs that both selectively activate the serotonin S2A receptors in the brain and heighten the levels of the hormone dopamine. (Connecticut Clearinghouse) (Drugs-Forum) Dopamine is a hormone primarily known for its role in the pleasure center to the brain, but is also responsible for the feeling of wanting and the process of working memory.
Although synesthetes supposedly possess a substantially higher chance of having Attention Deficit Disorder, it is likely that they have been misdiagnosed because individuals suffering with ADD tend to have extremely low levels of dopamine; to the point that sometimes Attention Deficit Disorder is misdiagnosed as depression (a psychological disorder characterized by low levels of serotonin and dopamine).
Those who experience the joined-sense anomaly, synesthesia, are not experiencing the lack of neurotransmitters responsible for maintaining attention and preventing acting upon spontaneous impulses. This strange correlation between synesthetes and people with Attention Deficit Disorder must be entirely situational caused by the phenomenon. Dr. Veronica Gross states in a frequently asked questions panel that, “...Synesthesia is not a disease. In fact, several researchers have shown that synesthetes can perform better on certain tests of memory and intelligence. Synesthetes as a group are not mentally ill. They test negative on scales that check for schizophrenia, psychosis, delusions, and other disorders.” Similarly to those who possess Attention Deficit Disorder, synesthetes are not unintelligent. In fact, synesthetes tend to be of a very high level intelligence. Synesthesia is not a psychological disease and is a beautiful gift to those who possess it.
Taking into consideration the evidence presented, while synesthesia is an interesting, rare, and even coveted anomaly the distraction it causes in scholarly pursuits puts it under the category of a learning disability. While Dr.Gross is correct in stating that it presents no negative effects of psychotic diseases, the distraction produced by this phenomenon ought to be considered a learning disability. Brain scanning technology as well as urine and saliva tests have made it possible to determine levels of different neurotransmitters. Chemically speaking, the neurotransmitter malfunctions associated with Attention Deficit Disorder and synesthesia cannot coexist in the same brain without the employment of hallucinogens. However, with the advent of this technology it is possible to scan those who claim to possess synesthesia and eventually develop more basic tests based on the findings from brain scans.
Bascom, Nick. "Unraveling Synesthesia." Unraveling Synesthesia | Genes & Cells | Science News. Society for Science & the Public, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Sept. 2012. <http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336404/title/Unraveling_synesthesia>.
Boeree, C. G., Dr. "Neurotransmitters." General Psychology. Webspace.ship.edu, 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. <http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/genpsyneurotransmitters.html>.
CDC. "Data & Statistics." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html>.
Connecticut Clearinghouse. "HALLUCINOGENS The Brain’s Response to Drugs." CTCclearinghouse.org. Www.ctclearinghouse.org, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.ctclearinghouse.org/topics/customer-files/hallucinogens-the-brains-response-to-drugs.pdf>.
Cytowic, Richard E. "Synesthesia: Phenomenology And Neuropsychology A Review of Current Knowledge." Allegheny.edu. N.p., 10 July 1995. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. <http://webpub.allegheny.edu/employee/a/adale/p108/Synesthesia%20Phenomenology%20And%20Neuropsychology.htm>.
Drugs-Forum. "Serotonin 5-HT2a Receptors and Synesthesia - Drugs Forum." Serotonin 5-HT2a Receptors and Synesthesia - Drugs Forum. SIN Foundation, 25 Apr. 2011. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. <http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151466>.
Fun Trivia. "Click Here To Play: The Mystery of Synaesthesia." The Mystery of Synaesthesia. Funtrivia.com, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. <http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/The-Mystery-of-Synaesthesia-195102.html>.
Gross, Veronica, Dr. "Synesthesia Project | FAQ." Synesthesia Project. Boston University, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. <http://www.bu.edu/synesthesia/faq/index.html>.
Mächler M-J. Synaesthesia and Learning; a differentiated view of synaesthetic perceptual awareness. Zürich: Swiss federal institute of technology Zurich, 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2012 <http://synaesthesia.com/en/Information/syn-bewusstsein/>
Mcgrath, Moriah M. "Tangled Wires:Conceptualizing Neurological and Cultural Explanations of Synesthesia." Tangled Wires:Conceptualizing Neurological and Cultural Explanations of Synesthesia. Serendip, 07 Jan. 2012. Web. 13 Sept. 2012. <http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/McGrath3.html>.
News Medical. "Dopamine Functions." News-medical.net. News-Medical.net, n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2012. <http://www.news-medical.net/health/Dopamine-Functions.aspx>.
Oades, Robert. "Dopamine-serotonin Interactions in -deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2008. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18772050>.
PBS. Steffie Tomson: Synesthesia Researcher. N.d. The Secret Life of Scientist and Engineers. Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 02 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. <http://video.pbs.org/video/1771013465/>.
Tarko, Vlad. "Synaesthesia: Seeing Sounds, Tasting Shapes." Softpedia. SoftNews, 04 Jan. 2006. Web. 18 Sept. 2012. <http://news.softpedia.com/news/Synaesthesia-Seeing-Sounds-Tasting-Shapes-15827.shtml>.
Travis. "Synesthesia Statistics." Synesthesia Test. Synesthesia Test, Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Sept. 2012. <http://www.synesthesiatest.org/blog/synesthesia-statistics>.
D. Brang, Survival of the synesthesia gene: Why do people hear colors and taste words? PLoS Biology, Vol. 9, November 22, 2011, e10011205. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001205.g002
The most common sort of medication used for treating ADHD is known as a stimulant. Medication There are two sorts of ADHD medications natural treatment for depression. They may need to be combined or frequently changed to continue to produce beneficial results.
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous supplements for adhd available in the market today. While stimulant-based medications such as Ritalin and Concerta can prove effective treatments for ADHD.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to remember that while most adolescents will experience a couple of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder symptoms, it is not uncommon for someone of average intelligence to have them as well. Discover here for more information about natural treatment for adhd.
ReplyDeleteA healthy body is a healthy mind and a healthy brain. I hope that this article has helped you learn something new about ADHD and the benefits of an all natural ADHD supplement. Get detailed info about ADHDsnap on this site.
ReplyDeleteSo, treating ADHD naturally with the help of supplements (containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, and other plant-based substances) and proper diet is important. If you want to get more interesting details about natural supplements for adhd, you may visit here.
ReplyDeleteThe best method for studying the effects of ADHD medications on patients is the double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials. These trials offer the best evidence so far demonstrating that dietary supplements are not more efficient than placebo. Interested to know more about natural supplements? Browse this site.
ReplyDelete