Did Leonardo da Vinci have ADHD?

Leonardo da Vinci has produced some of the world's most iconic arts, but historical accounts show that he has had difficulty completing its work. 500 years after his death, Professor Marco Catani, a professor at King's College London, suggests that the best explanation for Leonardo's inability to complete his projects is that the great artist may have suffered from deficit disorder of attention and hyperactivity (ADHD).

BRAIN Professor Catani exposes the evidence to support his hypothesis, relying on historical accounts of Leonardo's work practices and behavior. In addition to explaining his chronic procrastination, ADHD could have contributed to Leonardo's extraordinary creativity and outstanding achievements in the fields of arts and sciences.

Professor Catani, of the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience of King & s 39; states: & # 39; s Do a post-mortem diagnosis for someone who lived 500 years ago. I am convinced that ADHD is the most convincing and scientifically plausible hypothesis to explain Leonardo's difficulty in completing his work. Historical records show that Leonardo spent a lot of time planning projects but lacked perseverance. ADHD could explain some aspects of Leonardo's temperament and his strange mercurial genius. & # 39;

ADHD is a behavioral disorder characterized by ongoing procrastination, an inability to perform tasks, a wandering spirit, and an agitation of the body and mind. While most commonly recognized in childhood, ADHD is becoming more and more diagnosed in adults, including college students and people with successful careers.

Leonardo's difficulties in performing tasks were omnipresent since childhood. The stories of biographers and contemporaries show that Leonardo was constantly on the move, often jumping from task to task. Like many ADHD sufferers, he slept very little and worked day and night continuously, alternating fast cycles of short naps and rest.

Alongside reports of erratic behavior and incomplete projects by fellow artists and patrons, including Pope Leone X, there is indirect evidence suggesting that Leonardo's brain was organized differently than the average. He was left-handed and was probably dyslexic and had a linguistic predominance in the right part of his brain, which is common in people with ADHD.

Perhaps the most distinctive and disturbing side of Leonardo's mind was his voracious curiosity, which both propelled his creativity and distracted him. Professor Catani believes that ADHD can have positive effects. For example, mental wandering can fuel creativity and originality. However, although beneficial from the earliest stages of the creative process, the same traits can be an obstacle when interest shifts to something else.

Professor Catani, a specialist in neurodevelopmental diseases such as autism and ADHD, says, "There is a widespread misconception that ADHD is typical of unsuspecting children who behave badly and are doomed to a difficult life. On the contrary, most of the adults I see in my clinic report having been smart and intuitive kids, but have developed anxiety and depression symptoms later in life because they do not have any symptoms. had failed to reach their potential. & # 39;

It is incredible that Leonardo has considered himself someone who has failed in life. I hope that Leonardo's case shows that ADHD is not related to low IQ or lack of creativity, but rather to the difficulty of capitalizing on natural talents. I hope that Leonardo's legacy will help us change some of the stigma badociated with ADHD. & # 39;

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