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Early symptoms of mania and the role of parental risk
Author(s) -
Findling Robert L,
Youngstrom Eric A,
McNamara Nora K,
Stansbrey Robert J,
Demeter Christine A,
Bedoya Denise,
Kahana Shoshana Y,
Calabrese Joseph R
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
bipolar disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.285
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1399-5618
pISSN - 1398-5647
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2005.00260.x
Subject(s) - bipolar disorder , hypomania , mania , irritability , psychology , psychosocial , psychiatry , bipolar ii disorder , mood , clinical psychology , bipolar i disorder , anxiety
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: (i) describe the phenomenology of youths diagnosed with subsyndromal bipolar disorders; (ii) describe the phenomenology of youngsters who are the children of bipolar parents, who are also experiencing subsyndromal symptoms of bipolar disorder (patients with ‘cyclotaxia’); and (iii) explore which symptoms may be most useful in identifying youths with cyclotaxia. Methods: Four hundred outpatients between the ages of 5 and 17 years received a diagnostic assessment and psychometric questionnaires pertaining to mood symptomatology and psychosocial functioning. Parental diagnostic information was also obtained. Children and adolescents were assigned to one of three diagnostic groups: a ‘syndromal bipolar disorder (BP)’ group (n = 118), a ‘sub‐syndromal bipolar (SUB‐BP)’ group (n = 75), or a ‘non‐bipolar (NON‐BP)’ group (n = 207). In addition, based on parental diagnoses, youths were assigned to either a high genetic risk group (n = 167) or a low genetic risk group (n = 233). Results: Youths with subsyndromal bipolar disorders were found to have intermediate degrees of manic symptoms than youths with bipolar disorder and youths without a bipolar diagnosis. Offspring of parents having a bipolar disorder were more likely to show symptoms of hypomania and mania than youths without a bipolar parent. Youths at genetic risk for developing a bipolar disorder were not found to be at higher risk for having a diagnosis of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder or a disruptive behavior disorder. Finally, results suggest that elevated mood with irritability and rapid mood fluctuations are the key distinguishing characteristics of ‘cyclotaxia’. Conclusions: There exists a group of youngsters who are the offspring of a parent/parents with a bipolar disorder who do not suffer from BP 1 or BP 2, yet have elevated mood symptoms and psychosocial dysfunction. As a result of these observations, treatment studies are needed for youths with ‘cyclotaxia’.