Synaesthesia
Because the number of people with synaesthesia is relatively small, it is not yet possible to know this conclusively.
An Australian study did not find any evidence of an association between synaesthesia and various mental health problems. In fact, there is growing evidence that synaesthesia may be linked to certain advantages, including enhanced memory, superior perception and being able to think more quickly.
Two small studies published in 2013 suggest that synaesthesia is more common in adults with autism(also known as Autism spectrum disorder )than in adults who do not have an autistic spectrumdisorder.
The studiesinvolved screening people with and without autism for synaesthesia. In adults with autism, the prevalence of synaesthesia was estimated to be 17-19%, whereas adults without autism have a much lower prevalence of 2% (for more information, read NHS News: Synaesthesia may be 'more common' in autism ).
These results appear broadly reliable, but they need to be confirmed in larger studies. If true, these findings imply that the two conditions may share some common cause in the brain.
However, it's important to note that most people with autism do not have synaesthesia, and that most people with synaesthesia do not have autism.
Synaesthesia is a condition where a sensation in one of the senses, such as hearing, triggers a sensation in another, such as taste.
There are many different types of synaesthesia, and manypeople with synaesthesia will experience more than one of these for example, taste, sound and touch may all produce colours. Colours and patt
Most people with synaesthesia have had it since childhood, so it feels perfectly normal to experience the world in this way. It's not obtrusive and does not affect day-to-day life. It's not necessary
Because the number of people with synaesthesia is relatively small, it is not yet possible to know this conclusively. An Australian study did not find any evidence of an association between synaesth
It's likely that the brain of someone with synaesthesia is "wired" differently, or has extra connections. A brain imaging study has shown that when some people with synaesthesia hear spoken words, a
Interviews with people who have synaesthesia show a wide rangeof feelings towards their condition. Many are positive about it ("I feel sorry for people who don't have this"), and can't imagine their
Synaesthesia has been estimated to affect at least 4% of the UK population. Researchers at the University of Sussex have estimated that 1-2% of the UK population experience colour when they see, hear