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CC BY 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2025; 83(04): s00451806828
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1806828
History of Neurology

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

Juliana de Castro Vilanova 
1   Instituto de Ensino Superior do Vale do Parnaíba, Parnaíba PI, Brazil.
,
Antonione Santos Bezerra Pinto 
1   Instituto de Ensino Superior do Vale do Parnaíba, Parnaíba PI, Brazil.
,
Giuliano da Paz Oliveira 
1   Instituto de Ensino Superior do Vale do Parnaíba, Parnaíba PI, Brazil.
2   Universidade Federal do Delta do Parnaíba, Parnaíba PI, Brazil.
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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.

Keywords

Neurology - Neurosciences - Neuropsychiatry - Literature - Medicine in Literature

Authors' Contributions

Conceptualization: JCV, ASBP, GPO; data curation: JCV; formal analysis: JCV; investigation: ASBP, GPO; methodology: JCV; resources: ASBP,GPO; writing – original draft: JCV; writing – review & editing: JCV, ASBP, GPO.


Data Availability Statement

The contents underlying the research text are included in the manuscript.


Editor-in-Chief: Hélio A. G. Teive.


Associate Editor: Ylmar Correta Neto.




Publikationsverlauf

Eingereicht: 16. Oktober 2024

Angenommen: 23. Januar 2025

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
27. April 2025

© 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Bibliographical Record
Juliana de Castro Vilanova, Antonione Santos Bezerra Pinto, Giuliano da Paz Oliveira. Brás Cubas, Quincas Borba, and Rubião: portraits of neuropsychiatry in the novels of Machado de Assis. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2025; 83: s00451806828.
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1806828