To examine the tolerability, safety and efficacy of
pharmacological treatments for children and adolescents
with bipolar and other co-occurring psychiatric disorders.
We will review findings from recent studies of
pharmacological treatments for children and adolescents
with bipolar disorder as well as examine treatment
strategies for bipolar youth with co-occurring psychiatric
disorders.
The results from recently completed double-blind
placebo controlled studies of treatments for bipolar youth
will be presented. In general, results of these studies
indicate that atypical antipsychotics may be more effective
than classic mood stabilizers for manic adolescents,
however, the long-term safety of these agents has not yet
been explored. Furthermore, recent studies reveal the
effectiveness of pharmacological agents for the treatment
of bipolar youth with depression. However, there are few
studies examining the effects of combination
pharmacological interventions for the treatment of cooccurring
disorders associated with pediatric bipolar
disorder. Studies suggest that specific atypical
antipsychotics have distinct risks for metabolic side effects.
Data supporting the use of pharmacological agents for
the treatment of bipolar disorder in children and
adolescents are rapidly expanding. However, there are
few studies examining pharmacological treatment options
for the prevention of recurrent mood episodes.
Additionally, studies examining the long-term safety and
tolerability of pharmacological agents for bipolar youth as
needed.