Psychiatria pre prax 4/2012

Bipolar disorder in chilhood and approval of ziprasidone for the treatment of mania in children and adolescents

Children with bipolar disorder present many diagnostic difficulties. One of the most difficult problems in preadolescent mania is differentation from ADHD. Recent, placebo-controlled studies have shown that atypical antipsychotics can significantly reduce manic symptoms in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder. Children appear to be at higher risk than adults for a number of adverse effects, such as extrapyramidal symptoms or metabolic and endocrine changes. Ziprasidone treatment was associated with clinically and statistically significant improvement in children and adolescents with bipolar disorders. Ziprasidone was well tolerated with no statistically significant increase in body weight and without changes of metabolic and endocrine values.

Keywords: bipolar disorder, ADHD, children, adolescents, ziprasidone.