Synesthesia is a symptom still largely unknown in the general population, a peculiarity in the perception of sensory stimuli. Affected individuals always experience sensory impressions as a coupling of two or more perceptions.
What is synesthesia?
Synesthesia was described in scientific literature as early as 300 years ago, and we now know of famous sufferers such as Franz Liszt and Richard Feynman. Synesthesia first came into scientific focus in 1880 with the study of visualized numbers, and it has only been the subject of serious scientific research since 1996. Affected persons experience one or more sensations coupled and as an indissoluble unity. Synesthesia occurs in numerous varieties, the most common being photisms, the perception of what is heard with colors, geometric shapes, or color patterns, and colored hearing, the perception of sensory impressions with colors. Synesthesia varies from individual to individual. There are various data on the frequency of the phenomenon; scientists suspect that between 1 in 200 and 1 in 2000 people could be a synesthete. The number of unreported cases could be much higher, because affected people experience their perception as normal, are not aware of their synesthesia.
Causes
Hereditary causes underlie most synesthesias, which could be proven by two facts: Affected individuals describe their particular perception as never having been different, and synesthesia occurs more frequently in families; circa 25% of first-degree relatives can be diagnosed as affected. Affected persons have deviating nerve connections, so that one sensory stimulus causes two or more scientifically measurable sensations. Synesthesia could be established as a scientific fact and anatomical feature due to these nerve interconnections, thus the sensory impressions are medically real. Synesthetic perceptions imprint themselves on the memory better than the triggering stimulus, thus affected persons can remember the color better than the triggering sound. In addition, synesthetic experiences are involuntary and unconscious, and cannot be consciously controlled or stopped by the affected person. However, synesthesias can also occur as misperceptions in hallucinations, triggered by mental illness, epileptic seizures or after taking hallucinogens. The causes of synesthesia can be distinguished by their occurrence: While congenital synesthetes describe sensory impressions with full consciousness in everyday life, in hallucinations all perception is disturbed.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
Synesthesia is often not recognized by affected persons as a special feature for a long time, because it is congenital and a synesthete has always perceived sensory stimuli from his environment in this way. In affected persons, different areas of perception are coupled. As a result, they experience two or more different types of perception simultaneously in response to a single sensory stimulus. The most common type of synesthesia is the hearing of colors: For the affected person, each sound has its own color that he or she perceives when hearing it. However, there are many different types of synesthesia. It can affect all senses, hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling and touching. In addition, each synesthesia is unique. The location of perception is difficult to determine and may be inside or outside the synesthete’s body. The coupling of sensations occurs involuntarily and cannot be suppressed. Synesthesias are usually not reversible: If a synesthete perceives a number in a certain color, this color, conversely, does not necessarily evoke seeing the number. Some synesthetes can achieve above-average memory performance, because synesthetic perceptions are particularly well remembered. Another symptom may be hypersensitivity, in which the intense experience leads to a rapid overstimulation of stimuli. Synesthetes may also have particularly well-developed creativity.
Diagnosis and course
As described, congenital synesthesia can be detected by brain scans. The main methods used to visualize the cross-circuitry in the brain are functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or positron emission tomography (PET). The simpler diagnostic method is an assignment test. Subjects are played tones of different pitch to which they are asked to match one of several color panels.While non-affected persons associate bright tones with bright colors in this test, synesthetes have their own laws of association that deviate from this rule, but they can explain the choice of association logically and comprehensibly for them. Synesthesia is congenital and usually shows a progressive course, many synesthetes report an increase of sensory impressions with advancing age. In contrast to congenital synesthesia, hallucinogenic synesthesia is not detectable. Only the possibility of occurrence can be determined on the basis of the substances taken or diseases present.
Complications
Because of the many forms of synesthesia, it is unnecessary to speak of complications in general. Complications due to treatments are also not applicable, since synesthesia has no disease value and thus no therapy is necessary. Synesthetes are most likely to experience complications in the form that the additional sensation of a primary stimulus may be unpleasant, which may lead to avoidance of certain stimuli. For example, hearing a certain sound may result in a sensory – in this case, just unpleasant or annoying – sensation. However, these unwanted sensations are highly variable in different cases of synesthesia and often do not occur. Complications can also arise from conditions that first led to synesthesia. Here few possible causes are known, but strokes and severe craniocerebral trauma may be mentioned. All in all it has to be said that synesthesia is mostly perceived as pleasant. Since most synaesthetes do not know their perception differently, no problems arise. On the contrary, this different form of perception often leads to outstanding performances. Only when “learning” to perceive and mixing several sensory levels, the synesthete may encounter certain problems due to ridicule or rejection.
When should one go to the doctor?
The affected person is definitely in need of medical treatment and examination for synesthesia. With this disease, there can be no self-healing, so an examination by a doctor must be done in any case. The earlier the disease is detected, the better is the further course. If there is no treatment, the symptoms will worsen. In the case of synesthesia, a doctor should be consulted when the affected person can no longer perceive stimuli and feelings from the outside correctly. In this case, complaints occur with hearing or seeing, which can significantly restrict everyday life. Even when tasting or smelling, serious complaints can occur, a doctor should be consulted. As a rule, a general practitioner can be consulted for synesthesia. Further treatment is then carried out by a specialist. As a rule, this disease does not reduce the life expectancy of the affected person.
Treatment and therapy
Hallucinogenic synesthesia is usually treated by therapy of the underlying disorder or by stopping the intake of hallucinogens. This also serves as a preventive measure. Congenital synesthesia is not a disease in the true sense of the word. On the contrary, many consciously affected people see their peculiarity as an ability and a gift. Accordingly, there is no need for therapy of the anatomical peculiarity and there is no possibility of prevention. Medical research today is trying to use synesthesia as a therapy for pain patients. In experiments with mice, a team of researchers found that the genes for synesthesia and pain perception are identical. In the mice, pain stimuli did not reach the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the awareness of pain, but rather those brain regions that are responsible for sensory impressions and perceptions. The synesthetic mice apparently did not feel the pain; they perceived it as an olfactory or gustatory impression. The goal now is to understand these research findings so that they can be used to develop new pain medications.
Follow-up
Affected individuals have limited measures or options for aftercare in most cases of synesthesia because it is a rare condition. If the condition has been present since birth, it usually cannot be completely cured.Therefore, those affected should consider genetic testing and counseling if they wish to have children, in order to prevent the recurrence of the disease. As a rule, the disease cannot be cured on its own. Most patients with synesthesia are dependent on surgical intervention, which can permanently alleviate the symptoms. After such an operation, strict bed rest should be maintained, and patients should also refrain from exertion or from physical and stressful activities. Many affected persons are dependent on the help and support of their own family due to synesthesia. Psychological support can also prevent the development of depression and other psychological complaints. Likewise, contact with other sufferers of the disease can also be useful, as there can be an exchange of information. The disease also reduces the life expectancy of the affected person in some cases.
Here’s what you can do yourself
People diagnosed with synesthesia are highly sensitive to sounds, colors and other stimuli. They are exhausted more quickly and need time to process the impressions. The task of the relatives is to treat the affected person with understanding. If a child has been diagnosed with synesthesia, it is recommended to contact other affected parents. Through the experience of parents whose child is synesthetically predisposed, the upbringing of their own child succeeds more stress-free. In order to support the phenomenon as good as possible, suitable support kindergartens or schools have to be organized. Children with synesthesia can participate in normal everyday life, but often other psychological abnormalities are present. Therefore, if synesthesia is diagnosed, it should always be treated in cooperation with specialists and trained special educators. In cases of mild synesthesia, the child often has no limitations at all. However, because affected children usually think and act differently than people without synesthesia, patience is always needed when dealing with those affected. Good communication in the home helps children with synesthesia to process their unique world of thoughts and to talk about it with trusted people.
