Bipolar Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Bipolar, including details on bipolar disorder, symptoms, treatment, depression, medication. | ||||||||
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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder - bipolar comorbidity in children and adolescents.Masi G, Perugi G, Toni C, Millepiedi S, Mucci M, Bertini N, Pfanner C IRCCS Stella Maris, Scientific Institute of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy. A substantial portion of juvenile bipolar disorder (BD) has a comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The aim of our study was to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal implications of such comorbidity in children and adolescents with BD. Ninety-eight refereed patients (mean age 13.7 +/- 3.0 years) with a diagnosis of BD by the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children, Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) were followed for 6 months. Thirty-seven BD patients (37.8%) presented a lifetime diagnosis of comorbid ADHD. The mean age of onset of ADHD was 3.7 +/- 1.1 years, and the mean age of onset of BD was 10.0 +/- 3.2 years. Bipolar subjects with comorbid ADHD were predominantly male, younger, and had an earlier onset of BD (8.1 +/- 2.8 versus 11.1 +/- 2.9 years). Bipolar-ADHD patients presented more frequently a chronic rather than an episodic course of BD, with an irritable rather than an elated mood. They showed higher rates of oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder, lower rates of panic disorder, and less frequently received antidepressant medications. Finally, ADHD comorbidity was associated with a greater psychosocial impairment. ADHD comorbidity is frequent in juvenile BD and can influence age of onset, phenomenology, comorbidity, and course of BD. A timely diagnosis should improve our efforts regarding the outcome of these subjects. Published 1 August 2006 in Bipolar Disord, 8(4): 373-81.
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