Better drug therapy for children predisposed to bipolar disorder
Contact: Michael Brandt mbrandtstanford.edu Stanford University Medical Center Stanford, California (USA) - Children with psychiatric problems are also at high risk of developing bipolar disorder respond well to drugs and mood stabilizers, according to a first study to examine the effect of drugs on children predisposed to bipolar disorder. Researchers at the School of Medicine, Stanford University and Lucile Packard Childrens Hospitals determining the correct medication for these children is crucial because standard drug therapies such as antidepressants and stimulants, may in fact turned manic exacerbating their underlying condition.In a study published in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, was, researchers found that over three quarters of these
vulnerable children showed improvement in their mood or behavioral problems after receiving a drug called valproate. The drug used to treat mania in adults, essentially cools the brain, said Kiki Chang, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and psychiatrist at Packard Childrens Hospital. Bipolar disorder affects both.2 million Americans who suffer from extreme high and low and debilitating. Children known as bipolar offspring - who have a parent with bipolar disorder, but have not yet developed the disease themselves - and who suffer from other psychiatric problems are more likely to develop the disease.The researchers studied 23 children aged between 6 and 18 years with bipolar disorder, ADHD attention deficit disorder or
depression or other mood disorders. These children showed signs of depression or mania, but do not meet the criteria for bipolar I or II, if considered at risk. Previous studies have found that bipolar children have a chance to 24 per cent of developing the disease, and ADHD can be a predictor. The researchers assessed the patients at study evaluated the manic and depressive symptoms and determine the severity of their Pages: [1] 2 3 4