Saturday, October 5, 2013

Does new research disprove neurodiversity and Temple Grandin's assertions that Einstein was autistic

Albert Einstein has been routinely diagnosed as autistic by a variety of individuals, Temple Grandin being the most prominent of these. Einstein allegedly could not speak at the age of three. He also dressed in very casual clothes, wore slippers and had unkempt hair and these are largely the basis of these assertions.

As I stated in my essay on that topic, there is evidence that Einstein’s speech delay may have been apocryphal. Denis Brian in his book, Einstein A Life stated Einstein’s sister told a story that when she was born and 2-year-old Einstein was shown his sister he said, "where are the wheels" when he believed she was a toy.

One of the arguments that is routinely made by individuals in the neurodiversity movement is that because Einstein was autistic and his intelligence is considered an autistic gift is this is one reason autism should not be cured. Temple Grandin has implied that Einstein’s genius is a result of autism or at least autistic traits.

To the best of my knowledge, there is no scientific evidence supporting these assertions.

As many people know, pathologist Thomas Harvey stole Einstein’s brain after performing an autopsy on the deceased physicist. He kept many pieces for himself and gave others to a variety of neurologic researchers who found differences in Einstein’s brain as compared to typical age-matched controls. One of the most interesting discoveries that while Einstein’s brain may have had a normal number of neurons, he had far more glial cells than than a typical brain. This evidence suggests that it was glial cells rather than neurons that were a factor in contributing to Einstein’s aptitudes and intellect. At one time glial cells were believed just to hold neurons together and provide maintenance support for them. Now, there is increasing evidence that glial cells provide more than just support for neurons and may be a more important part of the central nervous system than was originally thought. However, this is another topic.

Is there scientific evidence that parts of Einstein’s brain were qualitatively different than postmortem brains of those diagnosed with autism? a recent study suggests that this may be the case. The researchers found that Einstein’s corpus callosum had more extensive connections than comparison control brains. Unfortunately, this study has recently been published and is behind a $35.00 pay wall and I have not been able to read it yet. There are various ways I might be able to read the study without paying, but I have not exercised these options yet.

In comparison, a variety of studies on the corpus callosum of post-mortem autistic brains shows exactly the opposite, i.e. autistic corpus callosums have weak connections between the left and right hemispheres and, in some cases, autistics have a smaller corpus callosum or none at all. There have been apparently some studies showing that individuals missing a corpus callosum demonstrate symptoms of autism.

It would appear that Einstein’s brain, at least in this area, may be qualitatively different than in individuals with autism. Perhaps people can stop trivializing this disability by claiming that Einstein had it or had traits of it.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

You said; 'It would appear that Einstein’s brain, at least in this area, may be qualitatively different than in individuals with autism.'

Uh no. It is the difference between high functioning Autism and low functioning Autism. But it's still Autism. Different functioning brains will always be found to be different upon examination even within the Spectrum.

FYI.

jonathan said...

Actually, in a study done by Eric Courchesne's group they also found corpus callosum abnormalities in higher functioning as well as lower functioning:

http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=593584

Anonymous said...

People who claim Einstein is a reason to not need social skills, and to not care what other people think, need to learn more about how socially savvy Einstein actually was, and more about how much Einstein did care about what other people think and how they were treated: http://www.einsteinonrace.com/reviews.htm

Einstein wasn't just a brilliant scientist. He was also a civil rights activist - and stood up for the rights of many people who faced discrimination that he didn't even face himself.

Anonymous said...

Here's some more on Einstein's civil rights activism: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/einstein/global-citizen/civil-rights-movement

Ian MacGregor said...

Let's assume Einstein was autistic. Does that mean we shouldn't seek a cure for whom autism is detrimental?

Who makes that choice? Is one genius worth countless souls unable to function? Are countless geniuses worth one soul unable to function?

The ratio of genius to those unable to function is the first scenario, but even if the reverse were true,
does a moral society put advancement in knowledge over curing a condition whose impact is so detrimental to that one soul.



cubeangel said...

"People who claim Einstein is a reason to not need social skills, and to not care what other people think, need to learn more about how socially savvy Einstein actually was, and more about how much Einstein did care about what other people think and how they were treated: http://www.einsteinonrace.com/reviews.htm"

Anon, I would like to make a side comment that has nothing to do with autism whatsoever. A lot of people misconstrue the phrase "not caring what anyone thinks."

A lot of normal children take this out of context. A lot of teachers and parents say this without thinking of how the child would interpret this. The correct context for this phrase is to resist negative influences and peer pressure to do things that would be detrimental like promiscuous sex and illicit drugs.

At school, a lot of kids say these things are the popular thing to do and makes them seem cool. The idea behind this phrase was to instill the individuality to resist this negative behavior and influences. It did not mean to give up all standards with reckless abandon and to be rude and disrespectful. It took me a long time to realize what was going on.

Honestly, I believe children are misconstruing other pieces of advice adults give and then the adults wonder why there is so much disrespect, rudeness and behavior problems.

The thing is there are come cases in which one must care about what certain people think and in other cases you do not have to care. In fact, you could put this on a sliding scale.

Employers, teachers, parents, etc are ones you should care way more about what they think then the popular kids who use drugs. The popular kids who use drugs should be way low on one's totem pole.

Anonymous said...

"A lot of people misconstrue the phrase "not caring what anyone thinks."

"A lot of normal children take this out of context. A lot of teachers and parents say this without thinking of how the child would interpret this. The correct context for this phrase is to resist negative influences and peer pressure to do things that would be detrimental like promiscuous sex and illicit drugs."

True!

"At school, a lot of kids say these things are the popular thing to do and makes them seem cool. The idea behind this phrase was to instill the individuality to resist this negative behavior and influences. It did not mean to give up all standards with reckless abandon and to be rude and disrespectful. It took me a long time to realize what was going on."

Yes, all the adults telling kids

"If all your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump?"

really need to also tell kids

"If none of your friends jumped off a cliff, would you jump?"



"The thing is there are come cases in which one must care about what certain people think and in other cases you do not have to care. In fact, you could put this on a sliding scale."

THIS!

"The popular kids who use drugs should be way low on one's totem pole."

The unpopular kids who use drugs should be just as low on that totem pole, for just the same reasons (no matter how much their parents tell you to accept them for being different and for not caring what other people including you think...).

Anonymous said...

You didn't really disprove anything. You just spouted mirror-neuron theory, which has long ago been disregarded.

Anyone who says I am a soul unable to function is filled with hate towards autistics.

The new reappraisals of diagnoses are quickly eating away at 'low-functioning autism', most of which has nothing to do with most autistics. It was always an NT supremacist fiction.

If you didn't think Einstein didn't put a spanner in your quest to say our humanity is a disease, you wouldn't be so obsessed with 'disproving' his connection to us.

Your blog post didn't contain solid logic any way. It was inference and anecdote at most.

Good day to you, sirs.

Ian MacGregor said...

I sure wish people had the courage to put their names to their comments, or at least to use a pseudonym which is not as popular as anonymous.

I did not say that you, Mr Ms. or Miss or Mrs. Anonymous was unable to function. I did say that autism has left a great many unable to function. It has an extremely negative impact on a great many souls. I do assert that their is more linking those with severe autism to you, than there is linking Einstein.

It seems that you want to deny that autism is so very often harmful to those it has affected. I call that supremacist.

Anonymous said...

"Honestly, I believe children are misconstruing other pieces of advice adults give and then the adults wonder why there is so much disrespect, rudeness and behavior problems."

THIS.

Anonymous said...

"I sure wish people had the courage to put their names to their comment"

As opposed to you Jonathan, who made the exact complaint under your own name elsewhere.

Even when proven over and over 'severe autism' is commonly misdiagnosis you stubbornly refuse to believe autistic isn't some new replacement word for 'retard'.

Why would I give you my name? So you can stalk people, like your anti-vaccine buddies already have?

I'll be frank. You should rename this blog 'Autism's my gadfly' since you blame everything on it.

I feel pity for you, even though you insult me.