Is synaesthesia linked to other conditions?

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.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018