Am J Psychiatry 1995; 152:271-273
Copyright © 1995 by American Psychiatric Association
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescent mania
SA West, SL McElroy, SM Strakowski, PE Keck Jr and BJ McConville
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267-0559.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the rate of attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescents with bipolar disorder and to
explore the potential effects of comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder on the phenomenology of adolescent bipolar disorder. METHOD: The
authors assessed the rate of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for
adolescents with bipolar disorder who were hospitalized for treatment of
acute mania or hypomania. RESULTS: Eight (57%) of 14 adolescent bipolar
patients also met DSM-III- R criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. Patients with both disorders were more likely to be male and
Caucasian and to have mixed rather than manic bipolar disorder. Patients
with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had a higher mean total score
on the Young Mania Rating Scale than patients with bipolar disorder alone.
CONCLUSIONS: Although preliminary, these findings may have important
implications regarding the potential relationship between bipolar disorder
and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
