# Brás Cubas, Quincas Borba, and Rubião: portraits of neuropsychiatry in the novels of Machado de Assis

## TL;DR

This paper explores how characters in Machado de Assis's novels display behaviors that align with modern neurological conditions like delirium, ADHD, and dementia.

## Contribution

The study highlights Machado's accurate portrayal of neuropsychiatric disorders before they were medically recognized.

## Key findings

- Brás Cubas exhibits behaviors resembling delirium with mental confusion and altered cognition.
- Quincas Borba displays traits of ADHD and bipolar disorder.
- Rubião meets criteria for dementia with visual hallucinations and cognitive fluctuations.

## Abstract

The intersection of literature and neuroscience provides a fascinating way to explore human behavior through fictional narratives. Brazilian literature, particularly the work of Machado de Assis, excels in portraying characters with neuropsychiatric conditions. This work aims to establish connections between the fictional representations of human behavior in Machado's classic works and neurological conditions described by contemporary neuroscience. In
The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas
and
Quincas Borba
, Machado's characters exhibit behaviors that align with modern neurological diagnoses. For example, Brás Cubas experiences episodes resembling delirium, characterized by mental confusion and altered cognition, while Quincas Borba shows traits of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder. Rubião, the protagonist of Quincas Borba, meets certain criteria for dementia, displaying visual hallucinations and cognitive fluctuations. By analyzing Machado's characters through a neuropsychiatric lens, we can appreciate his remarkable ability to depict complex mental conditions, many of which were not fully understood by medicine at the time.