How cardinal are cardinal symptoms in pediatric bipolar disorder? An examination of clinical correlates

Factors Associated with High Parent- and Youth-Rated Irritability Score in Early-Onset Mood Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study with the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI)

Correct classification of irritability is extremely important to assess prognosis and treatment indications of juvenile mood disorders. We assessed factors associated with low versus high parent- and self-rated irritability using the affective reactivity index (ARI) in a sample of 289 adolescents diagnosed with a bipolar or a major depressive disorder. Bivariate analyses were followed by multilinear logistic regression model. Factors significantly and independently associated with high versus low parent-rated ARI score were: more severe emotional dysregulation and bipolar disorders diagnosis. Factors significantly and independently associated with high versus low self-rated ARI score were: lower children depression rating scale (CDRS-R) difficulty of having fun item score, greater children depression inventory (CDI-2) self-report score, more severe emotional dysregulation, and greater CDRS-R appetite disturbance item score. High parent-rated irritability was strictly related with a bipolar disorder diagnosis, whereas high youth-rated irritability was related to depressive phenotype characterized by appetite/food-intake dysregulation, mood lability, and less anhedonia and apathy.

In Memoriam: Professor Joseph Biederman's Contributions to Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

OBJECTIVE

To provide an overview of Joe Biederman's contributions to child and adolescent psychiatry.

METHOD

Nine colleagues described his contributions to: psychopharmacology, comorbidity and genetics, pediatric bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, Tourette's and tic disorders, clinical and neuro biomarkers for pediatric mood disorders, executive functioning, and adult ADHD.

RESULTS

Joe Biederman left us with many concrete indicators of his contributions to child and adolescent psychiatry. He set up the world's first pediatric psychopharmacology clinic and clinical research program in child adolescent psychiatry. As a young faculty member he began a research program that led to many awards and eventual promotion to full professor at Harvard Medical School. He was for many years the most highly cited researcher in ADHD. He achieved this while maintaining a full clinical load and was widely respected for his clinical acumen.

CONCLUSION

The world is a better place because Joe Biederman was here.

Progressive grey matter alterations in bipolar disorder across the life span - A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

To elucidate the relationship between the course of bipolar disorder (BD) and structural brain changes across the life span, we conducted a systematic review of longitudinal imaging studies in adolescent and adult BD patients.

METHODS

Eleven studies with 329 BD patients and 277 controls met our PICOS criteria (participants, intervention, comparison, outcome and study design): BD diagnosis based on DSM criteria, natural course of disease, comparison of grey matter changes in BD individuals over ≥1-year interval between scans.

RESULTS

The selected studies yielded heterogeneous findings, partly due to varying patient characteristics, data acquisition and statistical models. Mood episodes were associated with greater grey matter loss in frontal brain regions over time. Brain volume decreased or remained stable in adolescent patients, whereas it increased in healthy adolescents. Adult BD patients showed increased cortical thinning and brain structural decline. In particular, disease onset in adolescence was associated with amygdala volume reduction, which was not reported in adult BD.

CONCLUSIONS

The evidence collected suggests that the progression of BD impairs adolescent brain development and accelerates structural brain decline across the lifespan. Age-specific changes in amygdala volume in adolescent BD suggest that reduced amygdala volume is a correlate of early onset BD. Clarifying the role of BD in brain development across the lifespan promises a deeper understanding of the progression of BD patients through different developmental episodes.

Characteristics prior to and at time of diagnosis in pediatric bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

Describe symptoms before and at time of register-diagnosis in children and adolescents.

METHODS

A random sample was selected for chart-review from a Danish nationwide cohort of patients <18 years registered with an incident ICD-10 register-diagnosis of single hypomanic/manic episode or bipolar disorder between 1995 and 2014. Patients with symptoms which adequately documented a BD diagnosis in the chart were included for analysis.

RESULTS

521 were diagnosed in the study period. A random sample of 25% were selected, and 106 charts were possible to retrieve, with 48 chart reviews resulting in confirmation of diagnosis. Time from first reported affective symptoms to diagnosis was 2.6 ± 2.7 years for depressive symptoms, 2.5 ± 2.9 years for mixed symptoms, 1.4 ± 1.6 years for hypomanic symptoms, and 0.4 ± 0.5 years for manic symptoms. A hierarchical clustering analysis revealed three patient-profiles: primarily hypomanic/manic, primarily depressive, and more rare, primarily mixed profile. Frequently reported symptoms prior to diagnosis include anhedonia (79%), irritability (71%), hyperactivity (62.5%), decreased energy (62.5%), and psychotic symptoms (52%).Symptoms of ADHD (19%), comorbid ADHD (15%), symptoms of anxiety (52%), comorbid anxiety (4%), suicidal thoughts (50%), suicide attempts (8%), cutting (23%), substance misuse (21%), and criminal activity (10%) were reported before incident BD diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

The observed patient-profiles leading to diagnosis were primarily manic or depressive, resembling presentations in adults. The presence of ADHD, anxiety, suicide attempts, cutting, and criminal activity prior to diagnosis emphasizes the need for treatment of children and adolescents with affective symptoms. The gap from appearance of the symptoms to diagnosis suggests a window for earlier treatment.

Long term outcomes of pediatric Bipolar-I disorder: A prospective follow-up analysis attending to full syndomatic, subsyndromal and functional types of remission

OBJECTIVE

To examine patterns of remission of pediatric bipolar I (BP-I) disorder attending to syndromatic, symptomatic, and functional outcomes from childhood to adolescent and young adult years.

METHODS

We analyzed data from a six-year prospective follow-up study of youths aged 6-17 years with BP-I disorder. Subjects were comprehensively assessed at baseline and subsequently at four, five, and six years thereafter. Assessments included structured diagnostic interviews and measures of psychosocial and educational functioning. Patterns of remission were calculated attending to whether syndromatic, symptomatic, and functional remission were achieved.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier failure functions revealed that the probability of functional recovery from pediatric BP-I disorder was very low. Of the 88 youths assessed, only 6% (N = 5) of the sample were euthymic with normal functioning during the year prior to their last follow-up assessment (average follow-up time = 5.8 ± 1.8 years).

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide compelling evidence of the high level of persistence of pediatric BP-I disorder. Symptomatic and functional remission were uncommon and most subjects continued to demonstrate high morbidity into late adolescence and early adulthood.

Research Status in Clinical Practice Regarding Pediatric and Adolescent Bipolar Disorders

Bipolar disorders (BDs) have high morbidity. The first onset of 27.7% of BDs occurs in children under 13 years and of 37.6% occurs in adolescents between 13 and 18 years. However, not all of the pediatric and adolescent patients with BD receive therapy in time. Therefore, studies about pediatric and adolescent patients with disorders have aroused increased attention in the scientific community. Pediatric and adolescent patients with BD present with a high prevalence rate (0.9-3.9%), and the pathogenic factors are mostly due to genetics and the environment; however, the pathological mechanisms remain unclear. Pediatric and adolescent patients with BD manifest differently from adults with BDs and the use of scales can be helpful for diagnosis and treatment evaluation. Pediatric and adolescent patients with BDs have been confirmed to have a high comorbidity rate with many other kinds of disorders. Both medication and psychological therapies have been shown to be safe and efficient methods for the treatment of BD. This review summarizes the research status related to the epidemiology, pathogenic factors, clinical manifestations, comorbidities, diagnostic and treatment scales, medications, and psychological therapies associated with BDs.

I'm Not Being Critical, You're Just Too Sensitive: Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and Families

The present study examines the relationship between Perceived Criticism (PC) and Sensitivity to Criticism (SC) in youth with Bipolar Spectrum Disorder (BPSD), their symptomatic experiences, and family functioning. We hypothesized that findings for youth would be consistent with findings for adults indicating that PC and SC would be associated with a worse clinical presentation, and that associations between family criticism and sensitivity and youth symptoms would be stronger for youth with BPSD than with other clinical diagnoses. We examined 828 youths ages 4-18 years (M=10.9, SD=3.4) and their caregivers from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds using the Longitudinal Expert evaluation of All Data (LEAD) diagnoses (Spitzer, 1983), the parent-reported General Behavior Inventory (Youngstrom et al., 2001), The Perceived Criticism Scale (Hooley & Teasdale, 1989), and the Family Assessment Device (Epstein et al., 1983). We found significant positive association between parent reports of youth criticalness and more severe manic and depression symptoms, greater mood lability, higher suicidality, and worse overall functioning. Youth with BPSD were significantly more critical and had higher SC than youth without BPSD. Interactions between BPSD and family criticalness and sensitivity were found in their links with youth symptoms. Negative associations between criticism and sensitivity and youth global family functioning were significant only for youth with BPSD. The positive association between criticism and youth mood lability was significant only for youth with BPSD. Our findings suggest that family factors and interactional patterns impact and are influenced by functioning in youth with BPSD and that family-based treatments should be considered routinely with these youth.

A brief online intervention to address aggression in the context of emotion-related impulsivity for those treated for bipolar disorder: Feasibility, acceptability and pilot outcome data

Although aggression is related to manic symptoms among those with bipolar disorder, new work suggests that some continue to experience elevations of aggression after remission. This aggression post-remission appears related to a more general tendency to respond impulsively to states of emotion, labelled emotion-related impulsivity. We recently developed the first intervention designed to address aggression in the context of emotion-related impulsivity. Here, we describe feasibility, acceptability, and pilot data on outcomes for 21 persons who received treatment for bipolar disorder and endorsed high levels of aggression and emotion-related impulsivity. As with other interventions for aggression or bipolar disorder, attrition levels were high. Those who completed the intervention showed large changes in aggression using the interview-based Modified Overt Aggression Scale that were sustained through three months and not observed during wait list control. Although they also showed declines in the self-rated Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and in self-rated emotion-related impulsivity as assessed with the Feelings Trigger Action Scale, these self-ratings also declined during the waitlist control. t Despite the limitations, the findings provide the first evidence that a brief, easily disseminated intervention could have promise for reducing aggression among those with bipolar disorder.

Phenomenology and diagnostic stability of paediatric bipolar disorder in a Spanish sample

BACKGROUND

Paediatric bipolar disorder (BD) has gained validity, and substantial research in the last 20 years has dissipated the controversy surrounding it. However, data on the prevalence, prodromes, phenomenology, and longitudinal stability of paediatric BD are still required.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of all patients (n = 72) with DSM-IV BD evaluated over a 15-year period. We assessed the most frequently present symptoms prior to and at the time of diagnosis, the diagnostic stability of the disorder and its subtypes (I, II and NOS).

RESULTS

Patients [75% boys, median age (interquartile range, IQR) at diagnosis 12.6 (9.6-15.7) years] underwent follow up for a median period of 3.86 (1.8-5.9) years. There was a median delay from symptom onset to diagnosis of 2.3 (1.2-4.8) years. At the time of diagnosis, 37.5% had BD-I, 8.3% BD-II, and 54.2% BD-NOS. At follow-up, 62.5% had BD-I, 8.3% had BD-II, and 23.6% had BD-NOS, whereas 4.2% no longer met the DSM-IV criteria for BD.

LIMITATIONS

Our sample size limited the BD subtype analyses. Some of information was collected retrospectively.

CONCLUSION

95.8% of our sample retained a BD diagnosis after a median follow-up period of 3.86 years. BD-I patients maintained their diagnosis and subtype of BD. Half of all patients with baseline BD-NOS maintained their BD subtype, but most of the other half showed conversion to BP-I at follow up. Only 4.2% of the sample (all with BD-NOS at baseline) did not meet criteria for BD at follow up, and these patients were stable.

Further evidence of high level of persistence of pediatric bipolar-I disorder from childhood onto young adulthood: a five-year follow up

Background:

Pediatric bipolar (BP)-I disorder affects a sizeable minority of children and is associated with high levels of morbidity. Relatively few studies have assessed the persistence of the disorder over time.

Objective:

The main aim of this study was to extend our findings from our 4-year follow-up study examining rates of persistence of pediatric BP-I disorder onto late adolescent years and young adulthood 5 years after our original study.

Methods:

We conducted a 1-year extension to our original prospective study of 78 youth, ages six to 17 years, with BP-I disorder at ascertainment, who were followed up into their adolescent and young adult years (14.9 ± 3.8). All subjects were comprehensively assessed with structured diagnostic interviews and psychosocial, educational, and treatment history assessments.

Results:

Of the 78 BP-I participating youth, 68 were re-accessioned one year following the 4-year follow-up study, thus effectively 5 years since the original study. Of these, 63% continued to meet full (50%) or subthreshold (13%) diagnostic criteria for BP-I and 18% continued to have full or subthreshold major depressive disorder. Only 19% of BP-I youth were euthymic at the 5-year follow up.

Discussion:

This 1-year extension study further documents the high level of persistence of pediatric BP-I from childhood onto late adolescence and young adulthood. The results provide compelling evidence of the morbidity and dysfunction associated with this disorder and its many forms.

Clinical significance:

This study adds to a small amount of literature on the persistence of pediatric BP disorder and the critical need for early identification and intervention.

A Familial Risk Analysis of Emotional Dysregulation: A Controlled Study

OBJECTIVE

Children with deficits in emotional regulation operationalized by scores on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Anxious-Depressed subscales are more likely than others to manifest adverse outcomes. However, the transmission of this profile has not been well studied. The main aim of this study was to investigate the familiality of this profile.

METHOD

Participants were youth probands with bipolar I (BP-I) disorder ( N = 140), ADHD ( N = 83), and controls ( N = 117) and their siblings. Based on the CBCL emotional dysregulation profile, we classified children with severe emotional dysregulation (aggregate cut-off score ≥210) and emotional dysregulation (aggregate cut-off score ≥ 180 and <210).

RESULTS

Emotional dysregulation profile scores correlated positively between probands and siblings.

CONCLUSION

Youth with emotional dysregulation are at increased risk to have siblings with similar deficits, suggesting that emotional dysregulation runs in families.

Pediatric Mania: The Controversy between Euphoria and Irritability

Abstract: Pediatric Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a highly morbid pediatric psychiatric disease, consistently associated with family psychiatric history of mood disorders and associated with high levels of morbidity and disability and with a great risk of suicide. While there is a general consensus on the symptomatology of depression in childhood, the phenomenology of pediatric mania is still highly debated and the course and long-term outcome of pediatric BD still need to be clarified. We reviewed the available studies on the phenomenology of pediatric mania with the aim of summarizing the prevalence, demographics, clinical correlates and course of these two types of pediatric mania. Eighteen studies reported the number of subjects presenting with either irritable or elated mood during mania. Irritability has been reported to be the most frequent clinical feature of pediatric mania reaching a sensitivity of 95–100% in several samples. Only half the studies reviewed reported on number of episodes or cycling patterns and the described course was mostly chronic and ultra-rapid whereas the classical episodic presentation was less common.

Few long-term outcome studies have reported a diagnostic stability of mania from childhood to young adult age. Future research should focus on the heterogeneity of irritability aiming at differentiating distinct subtypes of pediatric psychiatric disorders with distinct phenomenology, course, outcome and biomarkers. Longitudinal studies of samples attending to mood presentation, irritable versus elated, and course, chronic versus episodic, may help clarify whether these are meaningful distinctions in the course, treatment and outcome of pediatric onset bipolar disorder.

Bipolar Disorder in Children With ADHD: A Clinical Sample Study

OBJECTIVE

To explore the impact of early-onset bipolar disorder (pediatric bipolar disorder [PBD]) on ADHD.

METHOD

We compared ADHD symptom severity, ADHD subtype distribution, and rates of comorbid and familial psychiatric disorders between 49 ADHD children with comorbid PBD and 320 ADHD children without PBD.

RESULTS

Children with ADHD and PBD showed higher scores in the Hyperactive and Inattentive subscales of the ADHD Rating Scale, than children with ADHD alone. The frequency of combined subtype was significantly higher in ADHD children with PBD, than in those with ADHD alone. ADHD children with PBD showed a higher rate of familial psychiatric disorders than ADHD children without PBD. The rate of conduct disorder was significantly greater in children with PBD and ADHD compared with children with ADHD alone.

CONCLUSION

ADHD along with PBD presents with several characteristics that distinguish it from ADHD alone, suggesting that these may be distinct disorders.

Similar familial underpinnings for full and subsyndromal pediatric bipolar disorder: A familial risk analysis

OBJECTIVES

To examine the validity of subthreshold pediatric bipolar I disorder (BP-I), we compared the familial risk for BP-I in the child probands who had either full BP-I, subthreshold BP-I, ADHD, or were controls that neither had ADHD nor bipolar disorder.

METHODS

BP-I probands were youth aged 6-17 years meeting criteria for BP-I, full (N=239) or subthreshold (N=43), and also included were their first-degree relatives (N=687 and N=120, respectively). Comparators were youth with ADHD (N=162), controls without ADHD or bipolar disorder (N=136), and their first-degree relatives (N=511 and N=411, respectively). We randomly selected 162 non-bipolar ADHD probands and 136 non-bipolar, non-ADHD control probands of similar age and sex distribution to the BP-I probands from our case-control ADHD family studies. Psychiatric assessments were made by trained psychometricians using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children Epidemiological Version (KSADS-E) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) structured diagnostic interviews. We analyzed rates of bipolar disorder using multinomial logistic regression.

RESULTS

Rates of full BP-I significantly differed between the four groups (χ23 =32.72, P<.001): relatives of full BP-I probands and relatives of subthreshold BP-I probands had significantly higher rates of full BP-I than relatives of ADHD probands and relatives of control probands. Relatives of full BP-I, subthreshold BP-I, and ADHD probands also had significantly higher rates of major depressive disorder compared to relatives of control probands.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that youth with subthreshold BP-I had similarly elevated risk for BP-I and major depressive disorder in first-degree relatives as youth with full BP-I. These findings support the diagnostic continuity between subsyndromal and fully syndromatic states of pediatric BP-I disorder.

Incidence, characteristics and course of narrow phenotype paediatric bipolar I disorder in the British Isles

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the surveillance incidence of first-time diagnosis of narrow phenotype bipolar I disorder (NPBDI) in young people under 16 years by consultants in child and adolescent psychiatry (CCAP) in the British Isles and describe symptoms, comorbidity, associated factors, management strategies and clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up.

METHOD

Active prospective surveillance epidemiology was utilised to ask 730 CCAP to report cases of NPBDI using the child and adolescent psychiatry surveillance system.

RESULTS

Of the 151 cases of NPBDI reported, 33 (age range 10-15.11 years) met the DSM-IV analytical case definition with 60% having had previously undiagnosed mood episodes. The minimum 12-month incidence of NPBDI in the British Isles was 0.59/100 000 (95% CI 0.41-0.84). Irritability was reported in 72% cases and comorbid conditions in 51.5% cases with 48.5% cases requiring admission to hospital. Relapses occurred in 56.67% cases during the 1-year follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

These rates suggest that the first-time diagnosis of NPBDI in young people <16 years of age by CCAP in the British Isles is infrequent; however, the rates of relapse and admission to hospital warrant close monitoring.

Neurocognitive functioning in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and unaffected relatives: A review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Neurocognitive deficits are present in bipolar disorder (BD) patients and their unaffected (nonbipolar) relatives, but it is not clear which domains are most often impaired and the extent of the impairment resulting from shared genetic factors. In this literature review, we address these issues and identify specific neurocognitive tasks most sensitive to cognitive deficits in patients and unaffected relatives.

METHOD

We conducted a systematic review in Web of Science, PubMed/Medline and PsycINFO databases.

RESULTS

Fifty-one articles assessing cognitive functioning in BD patients (23 studies) and unaffected relatives (28 studies) were examined. Patients and, less so, relatives show impairments in attention, processing speed, verbal learning/memory, and verbal fluency.

CONCLUSION

Studies were more likely to find impairment in patients than relatives, suggesting that some neurocognitive deficits may be a result of the illness itself and/or its treatment. However, small sample sizes, differences among relatives studied (e.g., relatedness, diagnostic status, age), and differences in assessment instruments may contribute to inconsistencies in reported neurocognitive performance among relatives. Additional studies addressing these issues are needed.

Emotion-relevant impulsivity predicts sustained anger and aggression after remission in bipolar I disorder

Recent evidence suggests that anger and aggression are of concern even during remission for persons with bipolar I disorder, although there is substantial variability in the degree of anger and aggression across individuals. Little research is available to examine psychological models of anger and aggression for those with remitted bipolar disorder, and that was the goal of this study. Participants were 58 persons diagnosed with bipolar I disorder using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, who were followed with monthly symptom severity interviews until they achieved remission, and then assessed using the Aggression-Short Form. We examined traditional predictors of clinical parameters and trauma exposure, and then considered three trait domains that have been shown to be elevated in bipolar disorder and have also been linked to aggression outside of bipolar disorder: emotion-relevant impulsivity, approach motivation, and dominance-related constructs. Emotion-relevant impulsivity was related to anger, hostility, verbal aggression, and physical aggression, even after controlling for clinical variables. Findings extend the importance of emotion-relevant impulsivity to another important clinical outcome and suggest the promise of using psychological models to understand the factors driving aggression and anger problems that persist into remission among persons with bipolar disorder.

Risk for emerging bipolar disorder, variants, and symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, now grown up

AIM: To determine the prevalence of bipolar disorder (BD) and sub-threshold symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) through 14 years’ follow-up, when participants were between 21-24 years old.

METHODS: First, we examined rates of BD type I and II diagnoses in youth participating in the NIMH-funded Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD (MTA). We used the diagnostic interview schedule for children (DISC), administered to both parents (DISC-P) and youth (DISCY). We compared the MTA study subjects with ADHD (n = 579) to a local normative comparison group (LNCG, n = 289) at 4 different assessment points: 6, 8, 12, and 14 years of follow-ups. To evaluate the bipolar variants, we compared total symptom counts (TSC) of DSM manic and hypomanic symptoms that were generated by DISC in ADHD and LNCG subjects. Then we sub-divided the TSC into pathognomonic manic (PM) and non-specific manic (NSM) symptoms. We compared the PM and NSM in ADHD and LNCG at each assessment point and over time. We also evaluated the irritability as category A2 manic symptom in both groups and over time. Finally, we studied the irritability symptom in correlation with PM and NSM in ADHD and LNCG subjects.

RESULTS: DISC-generated BD diagnosis did not differ significantly in rates between ADHD (1.89%) and LNCG 1.38%). Interestingly, no participant met BD diagnosis more than once in the 4 assessment points in 14 years. However, on the symptom level, ADHD subjects reported significantly higher mean TSC scores: ADHD 3.0; LNCG 1.7; P < 0.001. ADHD status was associated with higher mean NSM: ADHD 2.0 vs LNCG 1.1; P < 0.0001. Also, ADHD subjects had higher PM symptoms than LNCG, with PM means over all time points of 1.3 ADHD; 0.9 LNCG; P = 0.0001. Examining both NSM and PM, ADHD status associated with greater NSM than PM. However, Over 14 years, the NSM symptoms declined and changed to PM over time (df 3, 2523; F = 20.1; P < 0.0001). Finally, Irritability (BD DSM criterion-A2) rates were significantly higher in ADHD than LNCG (χ² = 122.2, P < 0.0001), but irritability was associated more strongly with NSM than PM (df 3, 2538; F = 43.2; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: Individuals with ADHD do not appear to be at significantly greater risk for developing BD, but do show higher rates of BD symptoms, especially NSM. The greater linkage of irritability to NSM than to PM suggests caution when making BD diagnoses based on irritability alone as one of 2 (A-level) symptoms for BD diagnosis, particularly in view of its frequent presentation with other psychopathologies.

Further evidence that severe scores in the aggression/anxiety-depression/attention subscales of child behavior checklist (severe dysregulation profile) can screen for bipolar disorder symptomatology: a conditional probability analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous work shows that children with high scores (2SD, combined score≥210) on the Attention Problems, Aggressive Behavior, and Anxious-Depressed (A-A-A) subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) are more likely than other children to meet criteria for bipolar (BP)-I disorder. However, the utility of this profile as a screening tool has remained unclear.

METHODS

We compared 140 patients with pediatric BP-I disorder, 83 with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 114 control subjects. We defined the CBCL-Severe Dysregulation profile as an aggregate cutoff score of ≥210 on the A-A-A scales. Patients were assessed with structured diagnostic interviews and functional measures.

RESULTS

Patients with BP-I disorder were significantly more likely than both control subjects (Odds Ratio [OR]: 173.2; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 21.2 to 1413.8; P<0.001) and those with ADHD (OR: 14.6; 95% CI, 6.2 to 34.3; P<0.001) to have a positive CBCL-Severe Dysregulation profile. Receiver Operating Characteristics analyses showed that the area under the curve for this profile comparing children with BP-I disorder against control subjects and those with ADHD was 99% and 85%, respectively. The corresponding positive predictive values for this profile were 99% and 92% with false positive rates of <0.2% and 8% for the comparisons with control subjects and patients with ADHD, respectively.

LIMITATIONS

Non-clinician raters administered structured diagnostic interviews, and the sample was referred and largely Caucasian.

CONCLUSIONS

The CBCL-Severe Dysregulation profile can be useful as a screen for BP-I disorder in children in clinical practice.

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and chronic irritability in youth at familial risk for bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a new diagnosis in the DSM-5. Youth with a family history of bipolar disorder (BD) are at increased risk for BD and non-bipolar psychopathology. No studies to date have examined rates of DMDD among offspring of parents with BD. This study examines the risk for DMDD in offspring of parents with BD compared to community controls and considers rates of chronic irritability (independent of a DMDD diagnosis) across diagnoses in youth with parents with BD.

METHOD

Modified DMDD criteria were applied post hoc to 375 offspring of parents with BD and 241 offspring, aged 6 to 17 years, of community control parents. We calculated odds ratios using generalized linear mixed models. In addition, we explored associations with a severe chronic irritability phenotype and various diagnoses in the high-risk cohort.

RESULTS

Offspring of parents with BD were more likely to meet criteria for DMDD than were the offspring of community control parents (Odds ratio [OR] = 8.3, 6.7% vs. 0.8%), even when controlling for demographic variables and comorbid parental diagnoses (OR = 5.4). They also had higher rates of chronic irritability compared to community controls (12.5% vs. 2.5%, χ(2) = 18.8, p < .005). Within the offspring of parents with BD, the chronic irritability phenotype was frequently present in offspring with diagnoses of BD, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and disruptive behavior disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Like other non-BD diagnoses, family history of BD increases the risk for DMDD. Severe chronic irritability and temper tantrums are the core features of DMDD, and are associated with mood and behavioral disorders in youth at risk for BD.

Bipolar disorder in children

Although bipolar disorder historically was thought to only occur rarely in children and adolescents, there has been a significant increase in children and adolescents who are receiving this diagnosis more recently (Carlson, 2005). Nonetheless, the applicability of the current bipolar disorder diagnostic criteria for children, particularly preschool children, remains unclear, even though much work has been focused on this area. As a result, more work needs to be done to further the understanding of bipolar symptoms in children. It is hoped that this paper can assist psychologists and other health service providers in gleaning a snapshot of the literature in this area so that they can gain an understanding of the diagnostic criteria and other behaviors that may be relevant and be informed about potential approaches for assessment and treatment with children who meet bipolar disorder criteria. First, the history of bipolar symptoms and current diagnostic criteria will be discussed. Next, assessment strategies that may prove helpful for identifying bipolar disorder will be discussed. Then, treatments that may have relevance to children and their families will be discussed. Finally, conclusions regarding work with children who may have a bipolar disorder diagnosis will be offered.

Comparative effectiveness of monotherapy with mood stabilizers versus second generation (atypical) antipsychotics for the treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE

This study compared the effectiveness and safety of second generation (atypical) antipsychotic (SGA) versus traditional mood stabilizers (MS) in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder.

METHODS

The study was a retrospective cohort study on 5 years (2003-2007) of Medicaid claims data from four geographically diversified states. Children and adolescents aged 6-18 years who initiated a new treatment episode for bipolar disorder on either an SGA or an MS were followed for 12 months to compare the effectiveness and safety between the two therapeutic categories for pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD). The outcome measures were psychiatric hospital admission, all cause medication discontinuation and treatment augmentation. Potential selection bias caused by unobserved confounding was addressed with instrumental variable methods, using physician prescribing preference and year of cohort entry as the instruments. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to test the robustness of findings against the uncertainties on PBD diagnosis.

RESULTS

Of the 7423 bipolar children and adolescents identified, 66.60% started treatment on SGA, whereas 33.40% initiated on MS. Patients who initiated on MS and SGA had comparable risk of psychiatric hospital admission (HR=1.172, 95%CI: 0.827-1.660). However, as compared with those who initiated on MS, patients who initiated on SGA were less likely to discontinue the treatment (HR=0.634, 95%CI: 0.419-0.961) and less likely to receive treatment augmentation (HR=0.223, 95%CI: 0.103-0.484).

CONCLUSION

As compared with MS monotherapy, SGA monotherapy could be a more effective and safer treatment option for PBD.

A potential electroencephalography and cognitive biosignature for the child behavior checklist-dysregulation profile

OBJECTIVE

The Child Behavior Checklist-Dysregulation Profile (CBCL/DP) identifies youth at increased risk for significant psychopathology. Although the genetic architecture and several biological correlates of the CBCL/DP have been described, little work has elucidated its underlying neurobiology. We examined the potential utility of electroencephalography (EEG), along with behavioral and cognitive assessments, in differentiating individuals based on the CBCL/DP.

METHOD

Participants aged 7 to 14 years of age were categorized into 3 age- and sex-matched groups based on clinical assessment and CBCL/DP: typically developing controls without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 38), individuals with ADHD without the CBCL/DP (ADHD/DP-) (n = 38), and individuals with the CBCL/DP (CBCL/DP+) (n = 38). Groups were compared with EEG and measures of clinical phenomenology and cognition.

RESULTS

ADHD/DP- and CBCL/DP+ groups had increased inattention, but the CBCL/DP+ group had increased hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, disruptive behavior, mood, and anxiety comorbidities compared with the group with ADHD alone. Cognitive profiles suggested that ADHD/DP-participants had fast impulsive responses, whereas CBCL/DP+ participants were slow and inattentive. On EEG, CBCL/DP+ had a distinct profile of attenuated δ-band and elevated α-band spectral power in the central and parietal regions compared to ADHD/DP- and controls. The low-δ/high-α profile was correlated with measures of emotion and behavior problems and not with inattentive symptomatology or cognitive measures. There were no EEG differences between the ADHD/DP- and control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

An EEG/cognitive profile suggests a distinct pattern of underlying neural dysfunction with the CBCL/DP that might ultimately serve as a biosignature. Further work is required to identify potential relationships with clinically defined psychiatric disorders, particularly those of dysregulated mood.

Association of genetic risk severity with ADHD clinical characteristics

This study sought to examine the association between the cumulative risk severity conferred by the total number of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) risk alleles of the DAT1 3'UTR variable number tandem repeat (VNTR), DRD4 Exon 3 VNTR, and 5-HTTLPR with ADHD characteristics, clinical correlates, and functional outcomes in a pediatric sample. Participants were derived from case-control family studies of boys and girls diagnosed with ADHD, a genetic linkage study of families with children with ADHD, and a family genetic study of pediatric bipolar disorder. Caucasian children 18 and younger with and without ADHD and with available genetic data were included in this analysis (N = 591). The association of genetic risk severity with sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, neuropsychological, emotional, and behavioral correlates was examined in the entire sample, in the sample with ADHD, and in the sample without ADHD, respectively. Greater genetic risk severity was significantly associated with the presence of disruptive behavior disorders in the entire sample and oppositional defiant disorder in participants with ADHD. Greater genetic risk severity was also associated with the absence of anxiety disorders, specifically with the absence of agoraphobia in the context of ADHD. Additionally, one ADHD symptom was significantly associated with greater genetic risk severity. Genetic risk severity is significantly associated with ADHD clinical characteristics and co-morbid disorders, and the nature of these associations may vary on the type (externalizing vs. internalizing) of the disorder.

Can pediatric bipolar-I disorder be diagnosed in the context of posttraumatic stress disorder? A familial risk analysis

Despite ongoing concerns that traumatized children with severe symptoms of emotional dysregulation may be inappropriately receiving a diagnosis of pediatric bipolar-I (BP-I) disorder, this issue has not been adequately examined in the literature. Because both pediatric BP-I disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are familial disorders, if children with both BP-I and PTSD were to be truly affected with BP-I disorder, their relatives would be at high risk for BP-I disorder. To this end, we compared patterns of familial aggregation of BP-I disorder in BP-I children with and without PTSD with age and sex matched controls. Participants were 236 youths with BP-I disorder and 136 controls of both sexes along with their siblings. Participants completed a large battery of measures designed to assess psychiatric disorders, psychosocial, educational, and cognitive parameters. Familial risk analysis revealed that relatives of BP-I probands with and without PTSD had similar elevated rates of BP-I disorder that significantly differed from those of relatives of controls. Pediatric BP-I disorder is similarly highly familial in probands with and without PTSD indicating that their co-occurrence is not due to diagnostic error.

Future directions for research on youth with bipolar spectrum disorders

The past 25 years has witnessed significant advances in our knowledge of Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (BPSD) in youth. Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies are clarifying the unique features of its pediatric presentation, including continuities and discontinuities across the spectrum of severity. Advances have been made, both in the pharmacological and psychological management of BPSD in youth. Current investigations may ultimately shed light on new treatment strategies. Future research is anticipated to be influenced by NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). With this article, we summarize what is currently known about the basic phenomenology of pediatric BPSD, its clinical course, assessment and treatment, beginning with a summary of the major studies that have shed light on the topic. Next, we present a tally and content review of current research as an indicator of trends for the future. Then, we describe what we believe are important future directions for research. Finally, we conclude with implications for contemporary clinicians and researchers.

Does sex moderate the clinical correlates of pediatric bipolar-I disorder? Results from a large controlled family-genetic study

BACKGROUND

Since little is known as to whether sex differences affect the clinical presentation of pediatric BP-I disorder, it is an area of high clinical, scientific and public health relevance.

METHODS

Subjects are 239 BP-I probands (65 female probands, 174 male probands) and their 726 first-degree relatives, and 136 non-bipolar, non-ADHD control probands (37 female probands, 99 male probands) and their 411 first-degree relatives matched for age and sex. We modeled the psychiatric and cognitive outcomes as a function of BP-I status, sex, and the BP-I status-gender interaction.

RESULTS

BP-I disorder was equally familial in both sexes. With the exception of duration of mania (shorter in females) and number of depressive episodes (more in females), there were no other meaningful differences between the sexes in clinical correlates of BP-I disorder. With the exception of a significant sex effect for panic disorder and a trend for substance use disorders (p=0.05) with female probands being at a higher risk than male probands, patterns of comorbidity were similar between the sexes. Despite the similarities, boys with BP-I disorder received more intensive and costly academic services than girls with the same disorder.

LIMITATIONS

Since we studied children referred to a family study of bipolar disorder, our findings may not generalize to clinic settings.

CONCLUSIONS

We found more similarities than differences between the sexes in the personal and familial correlates of BP-I disorder. Clinicians should consider bipolar disorder in the differential diagnosis of both boys and girls afflicted with symptoms suggestive of this disorder.

Personal and familial correlates of bipolar (BP)-I disorder in children with a diagnosis of BP-I disorder with a positive child behavior checklist (CBCL)-severe dysregulation profile: a controlled study

BACKGROUND

Although the DSM-IV provides explicit criteria for the diagnosis of BP-I disorder, this is a complex diagnosis that requires high levels of clinical expertise. Previous work shows children with a unique profile of the CBCL of high scores (2SD) on the attention problems (AP), aggressive behavior (AGG), and anxious-depressed (AD) (A-A-A) subscales are more likely than other children to meet criteria for BP-I disorder in both epidemiological and clinical samples. However, since not all BP-I disorder children have a positive profile questions remain as to its informativeness, particularly in the absence of an expert diagnostician.

METHODS

Analyses were conducted comparing personal and familial correlates of BP-I disorder in 140 youth with a structured interview and an expert clinician based DSM-IV diagnosis of BP-I disorder with (N=80) and without (N=60) a positive CBCL- Severe Dysregulation profile, and 129 controls of similar age and sex without ADHD or a mood disorder. Subjects were comprehensively assessed with structured diagnostic interviews and wide range of functional measures. We defined the CBCL-severe dysregulation profile as an aggregate cut-off score of ≥ 210 on the A-A-A scales.

RESULTS

BP-I probands with and without a positive CBCL-severe dysregulation profile significantly differed from Controls in patterns of psychiatric comorbidity, psychosocial and psychoeducational dysfunction, and cognitive deficits, as well as in their risk for BP-I disorder in first degree relatives.

LIMITATIONS

Because the sample was referred and largely Caucasian, findings may not generalize to community samples and other ethnic groups.

CONCLUSION

A positive CBCL-severe dysregulation profile identifies a severe subgroup of BP-I disorder youth.

Age differences in the phenomenology of pediatric bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

The primary purpose of this study was to explore whether age differences in the phenomenology of bipolar disorders from 4 to 17 years of age exist.

METHODS

Outcome measures included questionnaires pertaining to mood symptoms, psychosocial functioning, and family history of psychiatric illness. Phenomenology was examined in two diagnostic groups: syndromal bipolar disorder (bipolar I or II) and subsyndromal bipolar disorder (bipolar disorder not otherwise specified or cyclothymia) and across six age cohorts: 4-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-13, and 14-17 years. Analyses examined linear and non-linear age effects on clinician-rated measures of mood and psychosocial functioning.

RESULTS

Participants were 535 outpatients (339 males) ages 4-17 years. The proportion diagnosed with comorbid ADHD was significantly lower in the oldest age group. Age groups showed significant moderate decreases in motor activity, aggression, and irritability with age. Many symptoms of depression showed significant increases with age. BP I cases showed much higher manic symptoms, and BP I and BP II cases indicated slightly to moderately higher depressive symptoms, compared to subsyndromal cases. These patterns held after adjusting for comorbid ADHD, and age did not interact with syndrome status. There were also age differences in total scores for measures of mood symptoms and psychosocial functioning.

LIMITATIONS

Mood ratings were completed based on the same interview that informed the research diagnoses. Also, mood episode at time of interview was not captured.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings affirm the existence of bipolar disorder from pre-school children through adolescence, with a similar clinical presentation across a wide developmental age span.

Further evidence that pediatric-onset bipolar disorder comorbid with ADHD represents a distinct subtype: results from a large controlled family study

We used familial risk analysis to clarify the diagnostic comorbidity between pediatric BP-I disorder and ADHD, testing the hypothesis that pediatric-BP-I disorder comorbid with ADHD represents a distinct subtype. Structured diagnostic interviews were used to obtain DSM-IV psychiatric diagnoses on first-degree relatives (n = 726) of referred children and adolescents satisfying diagnostic criteria for BP-I disorder (n = 239). For comparison, diagnostic information on the first-degree relatives (N = 511) of non-bipolar ADHD children (N = 162) and the first degree relatives (N = 411) of control children (N = 136) with neither ADHD nor BP-I disorder were examined. BP-I disorder and ADHD in probands bred true irrespective of the comorbidity with the other disorder. We also found that the comorbid condition of BP-I disorder plus ADHD also bred true in families, and the two disorders co-segregated among relatives. This large familial risk analysis provides compelling evidence that pediatric BP-I disorder comorbid with ADHD represents a distinct familial subtype.

Will disruptive mood dysregulation disorder reduce false diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children?

OBJECTIVES

The frequency of diagnosis of bipolar disorder has risen dramatically in children and adolescents. The DSM-V Work Group has suggested a new diagnosis termed disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) (formerly temper dysregulation disorder with dysphoria) to reduce the rate of false diagnosis of bipolar disorder in young people. We sought to determine if the application of the proposed diagnostic criteria for DMDD would reduce the rate of diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eighty-two consecutively hospitalized children, ages 5 to 12 years, on a children's inpatient unit were rigorously diagnosed using admission interviews of the parents and the child, rating scales, and observation over the course of hospitalization.

RESULTS

Overall, 30.5% of inpatient children met criteria for DMDD by parent report, and 15.9% by inpatient unit observation. Fifty-six percent of inpatient children had parent-reported manic symptoms. Of those, 45.7% met criteria for DMDD by parent-report, though only 17.4% did when observed on the inpatient unit.

CONCLUSION

Although DMDD does decrease the rate of diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children, how much depends on whether history or observation is used.

Toward defining deficient emotional self-regulation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder using the Child Behavior Checklist: a controlled study

OBJECTIVE

Deficient emotional self-regulation (DESR) is characterized by deficits in self-regulating the physiological arousal caused by strong emotions. We examined whether a unique profile of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) would help identify DESR in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHODS

Subjects included 197 children with ADHD and 224 children without ADHD. We defined DESR if a child had an aggregate cut-off score of > 180 but < 210 on the Anxiety/Depression, Aggression, and Attention scales of the CBCL (CBCL-DESR). This profile was selected because of: 1) its conceptual congruence with the clinical concept of DESR; and 2) because its extreme (> 210) form has been previously associated with severe forms of mood and behavioral dysregulation in children with ADHD. All subjects were comprehensively assessed with structured diagnostic interviews and a wide range of functional measures.

RESULTS

Forty-four percent of children with ADHD had a positive CBCL-DESR profile versus 2% of controls (P < 0.001). The CBCL-DESR profile was associated with elevated rates of anxiety and disruptive behavior disorders, as well as significantly more impairments in emotional and interpersonal functioning.

CONCLUSIONS

The CBCL-DESR profile helped identify a subgroup of children with ADHD who had a psychopathological and functional profile consistent with the clinical concept of DESR.

Self-Regulation of Emotion, Functional Impairment, and Comorbidity Among ChildrenWith AD/HD

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the role of self-regulation of emotion in relation to functional impairment and comorbidity among children with and without AD/HD.

METHOD

A total of 358 probands and their siblings participated in the study, with 74% of the sample participants affected by AD/HD. Parent-rated levels of emotional lability served as a marker for self-regulation of emotion.

RESULTS

Nearly half of the children affected by AD/HD displayed significantly elevated levels of emotional lability versus 15% of those without this disorder. Children with AD/HD also displayed significantly higher rates of functional impairment, comorbidity, and treatment service utilization. Emotional lability partially mediated the association between AD/HD status and these outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Findings lent support to the notion that deficits in the self-regulation of emotion are evident in a substantial number of children with AD/HD and that these deficits play an important role in determining functional impairment and comorbidity outcomes.

High level of persistence of pediatric bipolar-I disorder from childhood onto adolescent years: a four year prospective longitudinal follow-up study

OBJECTIVE

To examine the longitudinal course of pediatric bipolar (BP)-I disorder in youth transitioning from childhood into adolescence.

METHODS

We conducted a four year prospective follow-up study of 78 youth with BP-I disorder 6-17 years old at ascertainment followed up into adolescent years (13.4 ± 3.9 years). All subjects were comprehensively assessed with structured diagnostic interviews, neuropsychological testing, psychosocial, educational and treatment history assessments. BP disorder was considered persistent if subjects met full criteria for DSM-IV BP-I disorder at follow-up.

RESULTS

Of 78 BP-I participating youth subjects, 57 (73.1%), continued to meet full diagnostic criteria for BP-I Disorder. Of those with a non-persistent course, only 6.4% (n = 5) were euthymic (i.e., syndromatic and symptomatic remission) at the 4-year follow-up and were not receiving pharmacotherapy for the disorder. The other non-persistent cases either continued to have subthreshold BP-I disorder (n = 5, 6.4%), met full (n = 3, 3.8%) or subthreshold (n = 1, 1.3%) criteria for major depression, or were euthymic but were treated for the disorder (n = 7, 9.0%). Full persistence was associated with higher rates of major depression and disruptive behavior disorders at the follow-up assessment and higher use of stimulant medicines at the baseline assessment. Non-Peristent BP-I was also characterized by high levels of dysfunction and morbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

This four year follow-up shows that the majority of BP-I disorder youth continue to experience persistent disorder into their mid and late adolescent years and its persistence is associated with high levels of morbidity and disability. Persistence of subsyndromal forms of bipolar disorder was also associated with dysfunction and morbidity.

Pediatric bipolar disorder in a Spanish sample: results after 2.6years of follow-up

INTRODUCTION

Bipolar disorder (BD) often starts in childhood or adolescence. There is considerable scepticism outside the United States over the validity, stability and prevalence of BD in children and adolescents. Persistence of course lends support to the validity of a diagnosis.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the longitudinal course of pediatric BD in a Spanish sample over a median follow-up period of 2.6years and to examine risk factors associated with outcome.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all children and adolescents (N=38) with DSM-IV-TR BD-I, II and NOS evaluated in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, University of Navarra (Pamplona, Spain) from 1999 to 2005. We used the NIMH Lifetime Mood Chart and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale to assess clinical course.

RESULTS

79% (N=30) were boys and 21% (N=8) were girls; 44.7% (N=17) had BD-I, 5.3% (N=2) BD-II, and 50% (N=19) BD-NOS. Median (inter-quartile range: IQR: Q25; Q75) age at diagnosis was 13.9 (10.64; 15.84). Median follow-up period was 2.6years (0.91; 3.66). Mean percentage of time in an episode was 46.17% (23.36; 75.26), and it was longer in younger children (p<0.05). 2.6% had rapid cycling. At the end of follow-up, only 47% achieved remission or recovery. Younger children showed a worse treatment response (p<0.05). We found higher rates of hospitalization in children with ADHD (21%) (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Children with BD had a chronic course with little interepisodic recovery. BD can be diagnosed in children using DSM-IV-TR criteria. An early age of onset and ADHD comorbidity are risk factors for worse prognosis.

Impact of executive function deficits in youth with bipolar I disorder: a controlled study

Although psychometrically-defined executive function deficits (EFDs) and ecologically valid functional outcomes have been documented among youth with bipolar I (BP-I) disorder, little is known about their association. We hypothesized that EFDs would be associated with significant ecologically valid impairments beyond those predicted by having BP-I disorder. Youth with BP-I disorder were ascertained from psychiatric clinics and community sources. We defined EFDs as having at least two out of eight EF measures impaired from a battery of six tests. Significantly more youth with BP-I disorder had EFDs than controls (45% versus 17%). Comparisons were made between controls without EFDs (N=81), controls with EFDs (N=17), BP-I youth without EFDs (N=76), and BP-I youth with EFDs (N=62). EFDs were associated with an increased risk for placement in a special class and a decrease in academic achievement (WRAT-3 reading and arithmetic). EFDs in BP-I subjects were associated with an increased risk for speech/language disorder (as assessed in the K-SADS-E) relative to BP-I subjects without EFDs. Youth with BP-I disorder and EFDs are at high risk for significant impairments in academic functioning.

Mood swing and mood stabilizer: how specific are these terms?

BACKGROUND

In the DSM-IIIR in 1987, the category title for depressive and bipolar disorders was changed from affective disorders to mood disorders. Within a short period of time thereafter, mood swing and mood stabilizer became very commonly used terms in psychiatry with bipolar implications.

METHODS

Terms and definitions in recent texts, articles, and dictionaries pertaining to mood fluctuations have been reviewed.

RESULTS

The term mood was seldom part of psychiatric terminology until the late 1970s. Mood swing and mood stabilizer as used in the psychiatric literature are primarily nonspecific and often misleading concepts--particularly as a basis for treatment decisions. Affective fluctuations and shifts to irritability and/or anger in persons with personality and depressive disorders are being viewed by many in the mental health field as cyclically biphasic--between depressed to elated--which is clearly at variance with research findings.

CONCLUSIONS

More data-based research on mood variations is needed to authoritatively remedy this situation.

Pharmacotherapy of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents: recent progress

Child and adolescent bipolar disorder (BPD) is a serious psychiatric disorder that often causes significant impairment in functioning. Pharmacological intervention is the cornerstone of treatment for bipolar youth, although psychotherapeutic interventions may be beneficial as adjunctive treatment. Medications used for the treatment of BPD in adults are still commonly used for bipolar children and adolescents. With the recent US FDA indication of risperidone, aripiprazole, quetiapine and olanzapine for the treatment of bipolar youth, the atypical antipsychotics are rapidly becoming a first-line treatment option. However, these agents are associated with adverse effects such as increased appetite, weight gain and type II diabetes mellitus. Although several evidence-based medications are now available for the treatment of BPD in younger populations, additional studies to evaluate the short- and long-term efficacy and potential for adverse events of these and other medications are needed.

A controlled family study of children with DSM-IV bipolar-I disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity

BACKGROUND

To estimate the spectrum of familial risk for psychopathology in first-degree relatives of children with unabridged DSM-IV bipolar-I disorder (BP-I).

METHOD

We conducted a blinded, controlled family study using structured diagnostic interviews of 157 children with BP-I probands (n=487 first-degree relatives), 162 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (without BP-I) probands (n=511 first-degree relatives), and 136 healthy control (without ADHD or BP-I) probands (n=411 first-degree relatives).

RESULTS

The morbid risk (MR) of BP-I disorder in relatives of BP-I probands (MR=0.18) was increased 4-fold [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.3-6.9, p<0.001] over the risk to relatives of control probands (MR=0.05) and 3.5-fold (95% CI 2.1-5.8, p<0.001) over the risk to relatives of ADHD probands (MR=0.06). In addition, relatives of children with BP-I disorder had high rates of psychosis, major depression, multiple anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, ADHD and antisocial disorders compared with relatives of control probands. Only the effect for antisocial disorders lost significance after accounted for by the corresponding diagnosis in the proband. Familial rates of ADHD did not differ between ADHD and BP-I probands.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results document an increased familial risk for BP-I disorder in relatives of pediatric probands with DSM-IV BP-I. Relatives of probands with BP-I were also at increased risk for other psychiatric disorders frequently associated with pediatric BP-I. These results support the validity of the diagnosis of BP-I in children as defined by DSM-IV. More work is needed to better understand the nature of the association between these disorders in probands and relatives.

Pediatric bipolar disorder: evidence for prodromal states and early markers

BACKGROUND

Childhood bipolar disorder remains a controversial but increasingly diagnosed disorder that is associated with significant impairment, chronic course and treatment resistance. Therefore, the search for prodromes or early markers of risk for later childhood bipolar disorder may be of great importance for prevention and/or early identification.

METHODS

Literature searches were conducted to identify reviews, case reports and empirical papers addressing the issue of prodromes of childhood bipolar disorder.

RESULTS

A total of 54 articles were found that related to bipolar prodromes, risk factors for later childhood bipolar disorder, childhood risk for adult bipolar disorder, mania manifestations in early childhood, and neuropsychological and biological markers of childhood bipolar disorder. A review of articles suggest (a) childhood bipolar prodromes may be detectable prior to the onset of the disorder, (b) prodromal symptoms may display episodicity during childhood, (c) there is evidence of possible endophenotypic markers such as deficits in executive function, sustained attention, and emotion labeling, (d) there is a potential association with functional, structural, and biochemical alterations evident in brain structures involved in mood regulation, (e) a link between childhood bipolar disorder with early tempermental markers, such as emotional regulation and behavioral disinhibition and (f) there is some early but promising evidence of effective psychotherapeutic preventions.

CONCLUSIONS

There has been very limited investigation of early prodromes of childhood bipolar disorder. Based on the promising findings of prodromes as well as high-risk states and possible endophenotypic markers, more controlled and targeted investigations into the early markers of bipolar disorder appear warranted and potentially fruitful. Until such longitudinal studies with appropriate controls are conducted, specific markers for bipolar prodromes will remain elusive, although evidence suggests they are manifest in at least some subgroups. The finding of promising psychotherapeutic prevention programs underscores the need to find specific and sensitive markers of bipolar prodromes in childhood.

Liquid risperidone in the treatment of rages in psychiatrically hospitalized children with possible bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

To examine the safety and efficacy of liquid risperidone to reduce duration of rages in children with severe mood dysregulation (SMD) or possible bipolar disorder (BP).

METHOD

The sample included 151 consecutive admissions of 5-12 year old children to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Diagnostic information and history of prior rage outbursts were obtained at admission. In hospital, a first rage was treated with seclusion. If a second rage occurred, the child was offered liquid risperidone to help him/her regain control. Durations of unmedicated and last medicated rage were compared. Rage frequency in children with SMD and several definitions of BP were compared.

RESULTS

Although 82 of 151 admissions were prompted by rages, rages occurred during only 49 hospitalizations and occurred more than once in only 24. In 16 multiply medicated children, duration of rages dropped from a baseline of 44.4 +/- 20.2 min to 25.6 +/- 12.5 min at the child's last dose. Neither SMD nor any definition of BP influenced rage response in this small sample. The average liquid risperidone dose was 0.02 mg/kg. All but two children also took atypical antipsychotics daily. In the evaluation of medicated rage episodes with standard rating scales, no extrapyramidal side effects, akathisia, or abnormal involuntary movements were observed, and the rate of sedation/sleepiness (7/67 = 10.4%) was similar and not significantly different from that observed during nonmedicated episodes (8/46 = 17.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Liquid risperidone may be a safe and effective way to shorten the duration of rage episodes regardless of diagnosis. However, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn in the absence of a placebo control as children were also receiving other behavioral and psychopharmacologic treatments.

Evidence for genetic association of RORB with bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorder, particularly in children, is characterized by rapid cycling and switching, making circadian clock genes plausible molecular underpinnings for bipolar disorder. We previously reported work establishing mice lacking the clock gene D-box binding protein (DBP) as a stress-reactive genetic animal model of bipolar disorder. Microarray studies revealed that expression of two closely related clock genes, RAR-related orphan receptors alpha (RORA) and beta (RORB), was altered in these mice. These retinoid-related receptors are involved in a number of pathways including neurogenesis, stress response, and modulation of circadian rhythms. Here we report association studies between bipolar disorder and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in RORA and RORB.

METHODS

We genotyped 355 RORA and RORB SNPs in a pediatric cohort consisting of a family-based sample of 153 trios and an independent, non-overlapping case-control sample of 152 cases and 140 controls. Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents is characterized by increased stress reactivity and frequent episodes of shorter duration; thus our cohort provides a potentially enriched sample for identifying genes involved in cycling and switching.

RESULTS

We report that four intronic RORB SNPs showed positive associations with the pediatric bipolar phenotype that survived Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons in the case-control sample. Three RORB haplotype blocks implicating an additional 11 SNPs were also associated with the disease in the case-control sample. However, these significant associations were not replicated in the sample of trios. There was no evidence for association between pediatric bipolar disorder and any RORA SNPs or haplotype blocks after multiple-test correction. In addition, we found no strong evidence for association between the age-at-onset of bipolar disorder with any RORA or RORB SNPs.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that clock genes in general and RORB in particular may be important candidates for further investigation in the search for the molecular basis of bipolar disorder.

Pediatric bipolar disorder in a Spanish sample: features before and at the time of diagnosis

INTRODUCTION

Bipolar disorder (BD) often starts in childhood or adolescence. Diagnostic delay is common and may have a negative impact on treatment response and outcome.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the clinical characteristics and symptoms of children with BD prior to their diagnosis and at the time of diagnosis in a sample in Spain.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of all children and adolescents (N=38) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of BD evaluated in the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, University of Navarra, over a 6-year period. We collected the DSM-IV symptoms of BD prior and at the time of diagnosis using the K-SADS-PL interview template.

RESULTS

BD was diagnosed in close to 4% of clinic patients. Thirty (79%) were boys and 8 (21%) were girls; 17 (44.7%) had BD-1, 2 (5.3%) BD-2, and 19 (49.9%) BD-NOS. Median age at diagnosis was 13.9 (10.6;15.9). Delay of diagnosis was 1.5 (0.7;3.4) years. Symptoms of BD were similar to those reported in U.S. samples with high rates of severe irritability (94.6%) and psychiatric comorbidity: 92.1% of the BD children had at least one comorbid disorder and 18.4% had three comorbidities, most frequently ADHD (21%) and substance abuse (18.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical findings in this Spanish sample of children with BD closely resembles those described in U.S. clinics. Diagnostic delay, as in the U.S., and frequent misdiagnosis may explain low prevalence estimates found outside the U.S.

Prescribing patterns for treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder in a specialty clinic

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to describe prescribing practices in the treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder in a university practice setting.

METHOD

A retrospective chart review was performed on 53 youths diagnosed using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4(th) edition (DSM-IV), criteria with bipolar spectrum disorder under the active care of child psychiatrists practicing in a pediatric psychopharmacology specialty clinic. Current medications, doses, and related adverse events were recorded. Clinicians were asked to provide a target disorder (bipolar mania/mixed state, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], or anxiety) for each medication to the best of their ability. The Clinical Global Impressions-Severity (CGI-S) scale was used to measure severity of each disorder before treatment and the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) was used to quantify the magnitude of improvement with treatment. Meaningful improvement of the disorder was defined by CGI-I score of 1 or 2.

RESULTS

The mean number of psychotropic medications per patient was 3.0 +/- 1.6. A total of 68% of patients were treated for co-morbid disorders; 23% of patients were treated with monotherapy, primarily with second-generation antipsychotics. Mania improved in 80% of cases, mixed state improved in 57% of cases, ADHD improved in 56% of cases, anxiety improved in 61% of cases, and depression improved in 90% of cases.

CONCLUSION

The management of pediatric bipolar disorder often requires multiple medications. For the treatment of mania/mixed states, clinicians prescribed second-generation antipsychotics more frequently than mood stabilizers, especially in the context of monotherapy. Co-morbidity was a frequent problem with moderate success obtained with combined pharmacotherapy approaches. Further psychosocial strategies to augment pharmacotherapy may improve outcome while reducing the medication burden in pediatric bipolar disorder.

Early-onset bipolar spectrum disorders: diagnostic issues

Since the mid 1990s, early-onset bipolar spectrum disorders (BPSDs) have received increased attention in both the popular press and scholarly press. Rates of diagnosis of BPSD in children and adolescents have increased in inpatient, outpatient, and primary care settings. BPSDs remain difficult to diagnose, particularly in youth. The current diagnostic system makes few modifications to accommodate children and adolescents. Researchers in this area have developed specific BPSD definitions that affect the generalizability of their findings to all youth with BPSD. Despite knowledge gains from the research, BPSDs are still difficult to diagnose because clinicians must: (1) consider the impact of the child's developmental level on symptom presentation (e.g., normative behavior prevalence, environmental limitations on youth behavior, pubertal status, irritability, symptom duration); (2) weigh associated impairment and course of illness (e.g., neurocognitive functioning, failing to meet full DSM criteria, future impairment); and (3) make decisions about appropriate assessment (differentiating BPSD from medical illnesses, medications, drug use, or other psychiatric diagnoses that might better account for symptoms; comorbid disorders; informant characteristics and assessment measures to use). Research findings concerning these challenges and relevant recommendations are offered. Areas for further research to guide clinicians' assessment of children with early-onset BPSD are highlighted.