Leonardo da Vinci died 500 years ago, but scientists are now showing evidence that the iconic polymath may have had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He was described as a genius driven to distraction.
The research from the King's College London and the University of Pavia in Italy entitled "Leonardo da Vinci: A genius driven to distraction" suggests that historical documentation supports Da Vinci's difficulties with procrastination and time management as characteristic of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.
Busy Life Of A Polymath
Being a polymath, Da Vinci is an artist, scientist, architect, and inventor. He delved in many aspects of knowledge — art and natural philosophy, among others, but he also failed to complete many projects. It was said that he set himself to learn many things but abandoned them after having begun.
"Leonardo's chronic struggle to distill his extraordinary creativity into concrete results and deliver on commitments was proverbial in his lifetime and present since early childhood," said Marco Catani, professor of neuroanatomy and psychiatry at King's College, and Paolo Mazzarello, a professor from the brain and behavior sciences department of the University of Pavia.
They said Da Vinci's "relentless procrastination" and "difficulties with focusing" that were evident since his childhood could have stemmed from ADHD.
To further amplify Da Vinci's traits and their relation to the characteristics of ADHD, the researchers said like many other people with ADHD, Da Vinci slept very little and worked night and day in between short naps. They also said Da Vinci always kept himself occupied but also often switched from task to task, resulting in a reputation of a mix of brilliance and difficulty.
Da Vinci's Unique Brain Wiring
Despite his abilities, Da Vinci struggled to work independently as an artist. When he was 26 years old, he opened his own studio in Florence, Italy, after leaving the workshop of Andrea Verrocchio. However, he failed to finish and deliver important commissioned works because of his identifiable fickleness of temperament and chaotic organization skills.
The study even compared him to Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, who, at the same age of 26, had already finished more than 80 paintings, including large frescos in the Vatican.
The study states that ADHD is a highly heritable childhood behavioral disorder characterized by continuous procrastination, the inability to complete tasks, mind wandering, and a restlessness of the body and mind.
Da Vinci also showed traits of atypical hemispheric dominance, left-handedness, and dyslexia that are prevalent in children with neurodevelopmental conditions, including ADHD.
ADHD In Adults
Although ADHD is usually recognized during childhood and may last until adulthood, it is increasingly being diagnosed among adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said individuals with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, may act without thinking about what the result will be, or may be overly active.
"While impossible to make a post-mortem diagnosis for someone who lived 500 years ago, I am confident that ADHD is the most convincing and scientifically plausible hypothesis to explain Leonardo's difficulty in finishing his works," Catani said in a statement.
ADHD can't be cured but can be managed to improve the symptoms.
The paper is published in the Brain journal.
