Mozart’s Humors: Cultural and Clinical Problems of Retrospective Diagnosis

Was Mozart manic depressive or did he suffer from ADHD or OCD? Or, perhaps his restless movements and peculiar personality suggest a diagnosis of Tourette’s Syndrome or even autism? Since the genius musician’s death in the 18th century, more than 140 medical and neurobehavioral diagnoses have been attributed to Mozart, few of which were in the clinical lexicon during his lifetime. Dr. Henry Powell, Professor Emeritus of Pathology at UC San Diego, will examine the evidence in a talk at Geisel Library on May 8 and will shed light on the challenges inherent in retrospective neurobehavioral diagnoses.

The May 8 talk, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the Seuss Room in Geisel Library from 2 to 3:30 p.m.  For more information, contact Scott Paulson at spaulson@ucsd.edu or (858) 822-5758.