Psychiatria pre prax 6/2004

Differential diagnosis of mania in chilhood and hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD)

Children with bipolar disorder present many diagnostic difficulties. They tend not to present with classic manic symptoms such as euphoria and grandiosity, but with severe irritability dysphoria and agitation. One of the most difficult problems in preadolescent mania is differentation from ADHD. Some of the symptoms of mania resemble those of ADHD, e.g. overactivity distractibility, fast speech. The evaluation is espetially important since psychostimulant medications often prescribed for ADHD, may worsen manic symptoms. Although mood stabilizers are often used to treat this disorder in children and adolescents, there are few controlled treatment studies.

Keywords: bipolar disorders, children, mania, ADHD.