Alternative treatments in pediatric bipolar disorder

Perturbational Profiling of Metabolites in Patient Fibroblasts Implicates α-Aminoadipate as a Potential Biomarker for Bipolar Disorder

Many studies suggest the presence of aberrations in cellular metabolism in bipolar disorder. We studied the metabolome in bipolar disorder to gain insight into cellular pathways that may be dysregulated in bipolar disorder and to discover evidence of novel biomarkers. We measured polar and nonpolar metabolites in fibroblasts from subjects with bipolar I disorder and matched healthy control subjects, under normal conditions and with two physiologic perturbations: low-glucose media and exposure to the stress-mediating hormone dexamethasone. Metabolites that were significantly different between bipolar and control subjects showed distinct separation by principal components analysis methods. The most statistically significant findings were observed in the perturbation experiments. The metabolite with the lowest p value in both the low-glucose and dexamethasone experiments was α-aminoadipate, whose intracellular level was consistently lower in bipolar subjects. Our study implicates α-aminoadipate as a possible biomarker in bipolar disorder that manifests under cellular stress. This is an intriguing finding given the known role of α-aminoadipate in the modulation of kynurenic acid in the brain, especially as abnormal kynurenic acid levels have been implicated in bipolar disorder.

Single-micronutrient and broad-spectrum micronutrient approaches for treating mood disorders in youth and adults

Several different vitamins and minerals appear to be effective augmenting agents for mood-modifying drugs, but are not potent monotherapies in themselves for treating psychiatric disorders. In contrast, broad-spectrum micronutrient interventions appear in early trials to be as effective as psychiatric medications with fewer adverse effects for treating mood disorders, ADHD, aggressivity, and misconduct in youth and adults. Broad-spectrum treatments also may improve stress responses, cognition, and sense of well-being in healthy adults, but have been less well studied in youth. Current clinical data justify an extensive expansion of research on micronutrient mechanisms and treatments in psychiatry.

Bipolar depression in pediatric populations : epidemiology and management

Depression in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder is more commonly observed than mania or hypomania, and is associated with significant functional disability in multiple environmental realms. Optimal management of pediatric bipolar depression is often defined by its multimodal nature with emphasis on both psychopharmacological and psychosocial treatment. This article provides a brief overview of the epidemiology and clinical course of pediatric bipolar depression, a clinically-oriented guide to the evidence-based psychopharmacological and psychosocial management of bipolar depression in youth, and suggestions on how best to integrate medication and therapy. Recommended treatment for bipolar depression in pediatric populations usually includes both medication and psychosocial interventions given a paucity of double-blind, placebo-controlled psychopharmacological studies. Lithium and lamotrigine are feasible and tentatively efficacious options; however, treatment with quetiapine monotherapy may be no better than placebo. Furthermore, some youth may be at heightened risk for developing manic symptoms after treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Psychotherapy, either alone or adjunctively with medications, provides practitioners with a safe and feasible alternative. Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy for Adolescents (IPSRT-A), Child- and Family-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CFF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A), family psychoeducation, and Family Focused Therapy for Adolescents (FFT-A) are evidence-based treatments available to clinicians treating youth with bipolar depression.

Pharmacologic treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents

This review focuses mainly on published articles regarding the treatment of school-aged children and adolescents with pediatric bipolar disorder. In light of systematic reviews, large randomized controlled trial data are emphasized wherever possible. This review addresses the treatment of acute manic/mixed episodes, including combination treatment, the preliminary literature regarding bipolar depression among youth, treatment in the face of comorbid conditions, and maintenance treatment. Suggestions regarding future directions are offered. A clinical vignette describing a teen with bipolar disorder is presented and bipolar medications, dosing, efficacy, side effects, contraindications, and succinct comments on each medication are summarized.

Neurochemical deficits in the cerebellar vermis in child offspring of parents with bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to compare concentrations of N-acetyl aspartate, myo-inositol, and other neurometabolites in the cerebellar vermis of offspring at risk for bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy controls to examine whether changes in these neuronal metabolite concentrations occur in at-risk offspring prior to the onset of mania.

METHODS

A total of 22 children and adolescents aged 9-17 years with a familial risk for bipolar I or II disorder [at-risk offspring with non-bipolar I disorder mood symptoms (AR)], and 25 healthy controls (HC) were examined using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3T to study metabolite concentrations in an 8-cc voxel in the cerebellar vermis.

RESULTS

Decreased myo-inositol and choline concentrations in the vermis were seen in the AR group compared to HC (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased cellular metabolism and interference with second messenger pathways may be present in the cerebellar vermis in youth at risk for BD as evident by decreased myo-inositol and choline concentrations in this region. These results may be limited by a cross-sectional design, co-occurring diagnoses, and medication exposure. Longitudinal studies are necessary to determine whether early neurochemical changes can predict the development of mania. Improved methods for identifying children with certain neurochemical vulnerabilities may inform preventive and early intervention strategies prior to the onset of mania.