Rare brain disease gave scientist "a torrent of creativity"

Dr Anne Adams was a Canadian scientist who died of a rare brain disease -- frontotemporal dementia -- which caused her to give up her lab and engage in an ecstasy of creative effort (and an agony of frustration as her mathematical ability slipped away), mostly centered on Ravel's Bolero, a composition he wrote in the throes of the same disease.

“Anne spent every day from 9 to 5 in her art studio,” said Robert Adams, a retired mathematician. Early on, she painted architectural portraits of houses in the West Vancouver, British Columbia, neighborhood where they lived.

In 1994, Dr. Adams became fascinated with the music of the composer Maurice Ravel, her husband recalled. At age 53, she painted “Unravelling Bolero” a work that translated the famous musical score into visual form.

Unbeknown to her, Ravel also suffered from a brain disease whose symptoms were identical to those observed in Dr. Adams, said Dr. Bruce Miller, a neurologist and the director of the Memory and Aging Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Ravel composed “Bolero” in 1928, when he was 53 and began showing signs of his illness with spelling errors in musical scores and letters...

Ravel and Dr. Adams were in the early stages of a rare disease called FTD, or frontotemporal dementia, when they were working, Ravel on “Bolero” and Dr. Adams on her painting of “Bolero,” Dr. Miller said. The disease apparently altered circuits in their brains, changing the connections between the front and back parts and resulting in a torrent of creativity.

Link, Link to Adams's art, Link to more of Adams's art (Thanks, Marilyn!)

(Image: Before the Condo III, Dr Anne Adams)

• [carldecs]

  I’ve been seeing images like painting in my mind when I listen to classical music. I’m 71 but I’m not having any spelling or math problems. Do I have this disease mentioned?

• [pennypie]

  “Ravel and Dr. Adams were in the early stages of a rare disease called FTD, or frontotemporal dementia….”

  Funny how the disease is called FTD when Dr. Adams painted all of those flowers.

• [soupisgoodfood]

  How about a link that works?

• [Takuan]

  the only link I couldn’t get was the WIRED

• [John8787]

  I found this article very interesting. My father was diagnosed with Alzheimers this past summer, but some in the family believe its frontotemporal dementia. His decline this past year has been more rapid then expected appearing much too fast for Alzhiemers. He speaks a lot about “projects” whether its writing a novel or executing a “million dollar” business transaction. This article make me wonder whether we should encourage these efforts. Thanks for the post.

• [Anonymous]

  The effect of Bolero on the brain’s creativity in the patient with frontotemporal dementia might be due to entrainment.

  As the sounds are repeated the vibrations are activating the brain.

  With some concerted research we might learn more about how sound and music affect the listener, and how it can be used for physical, mental and spiritual upliftment.

• [sandra]

  I am an artist who just recently was in the hospital where they did CT on my head, they said that they found aging in the frontal lobe of the brain. I am always thinking of ways to more creative and am wondering if I am developing FTD.

• [Foxfire]

  This reminds me of the movie Phenomenon (unfortunately starring John Travolta).

• [jonas]

  My brother was an anesthesiologist for over 25 years and for the first 8 years or so, no one realized he had FTD. Unfortunately, when I suggested to his caregiver to encourage artistic talents that could have been developed, they were ignoored. Now my brother is nearing the end of the trail….pray for him, please, in the name of Jesus

• [trr]

  try
  http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.11/bolero.html
  instead

  Bolero: Ugh. Terrible horn part, except for the bit where horn and piccolo do a cool simulation of a high pipe organ playing the melody. Ravel definitely knew how to orchestrate.

• [w000t]

  This reminds me of the fascinating stories I’ve heard of synaesthesia, and especially its relation to the arts.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia#Use_in_art

• [ragu4u]

  Some people have all the luck. First….a brilliant math expert with an non-diseased brain. THEN….after getting a brain disease, becoming a well thought of “Artiste”. Think about it. One person gets all that. The there’s people like us. Had nothing special, have nothing special, will have nothing special. Just one of them things that make ya go….hmmm!

• [Julia Nixon]

  I think it is most interesting that music written by one with this
  rare brain disease, attracts one with the same rare brain disease.
  I also find it interesting that art connects the two, and not just
  your everday run of the mill, average art, but strong impressive
  art!!!

• [plswdth]

  What an interesting choice Boléro is–it’s such a simple piece with a repetitive ostinato build, but like a lot of electronic music what matters is between the beats. I couldn’t help but think of another interesting scientific connection involving obsession to the piece….

  http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.11/bolero_pr.htm

• [Fixnwrtr]

  In Phenomenon John Travolta had an astrocytoma not frontotemporal dementia.