Abstract
Gifted individuals exhibit increased brain processing, receptivity, and behaviors for intellectual, emotional, sensory, creative, and motor functioning supported by many neuroscience studies. Several studies report increased brain volumes, efficiency of processing in brain networks, and utilization of different brain networks of high IQ (gifted) individuals as a core feature of their being. These increased brain volumes and efficiency networks play a critical role in the overexcitabilities of gifted individuals including the intensity of intellectual, emotional, motor, and sensory processing. Many molecular studies show associations of high IQ and giftedness with genetics, specifically genes involved in neurotransmission, neural plasticity, and development. Both genetics and brain size contribute to the constitution of gifted individuals, but even more important is investigating the intensity of processing in gifted individuals related to the brain and physiological response. Gifted individuals report experiencing the world differently, more intensely, which is a neurodiverse experience. Neurodiversity’s foundation centers on differential brain wiring and maturation, which are found in the gifted brain. We investigate, how does the perceived environment differ for gifted individuals in relation to their neuroanatomy? What are the environmental intensities and interactions perceived and experienced by gifted people? In this literature review, we provide a greater understanding of gifted individuals that engenders advocacy across all domains including intellectual, emotional, social, physiological and psychological processing, development, and the experience of gifted people. With science, insight, and compassion, we develop solutions to guide gifted individuals to thrive.
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