Brain Damage May Spark Creative Talent

Updated: 10/23/98

Submitted by Christopher Wiechert A rare form of dementia which causes the loss of many brain functions can also heighten the artistic talents of those afflicted, a study said Thursday. Damage to one part of the brain may somehow release functions that were previously suppressed, said neurologist Dr. Bruce Miller, from the University of California at Los Angeles. Miller described the case of a stockbroker who left his firm to become an artist and a man with no previous musical training who started composing quartets. "Paradoxically, for these people a period of exceptional creativity heralded the beginnings of a tragic disease," Miller said. Please send E-mail to: joyful@best.com if you have any questions.