What causes sensory processing disorder? Does SPD have any relation to synaesthesia?
Charles Lee: Well, SPD seems to be one of those psychiatric diagnoses that is a little unclear. There also seems to be some controversy surrounding its relation to other diagnoses, such as ADHD. So, given that the actual disorder seems to be ill-defined, it’s probably not surprising that the actual cause is also unknown. I’ll speculate that since sensory information seems to be processed normally in SPD individuals, then the deficit must lie with the higher sensory and emotive centers. So, brain structures such as the amygdala, insular cortex, and prefrontal cortex, would likely be affected in these individuals. However, this is again just speculation. I’ve heard about “savantes”, who are musical geniuses. How is it possible that these individuals, being so gifted in one area, are otherwise “disabled”? How do their brains work? Charles Lee: The brain is structured normally to favor the general over the particular. The connections in the brain are such that they can be readily adapted,
