ABSTRACT
Objective:
Discussing the psychiatric diagnosis of Alberto Santos-Dumont, considered in Brazil to be the inventor of the airplane, who was admitted to psychiatric institutions several times and committed suicide.
Methods:
A narrative review was carried out on the psychopathological manifestations he presented, based on some of the most important biographies about the aviator. No scientific article on the topic was found.
Results:
Depressive episodes were well characterized. Behavioral changes that suggest manic episodes have also been reported.
Conclusion:
He probably suffered from bipolar disorder.
KEYWORDS
Santos-Dumont; biography; history of psychiatry; bipolar disorder