This paper is Gaye Carlson's contribution to The Balanced Mind Foundation's series, Translation of the Scientific Evolution of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder.  The series presents the leading researchers' contribution to the field.  It describes the programmatic approach and direction of the labs, the seminal questions which drive their research, a listing of their most important findings and a summary of how their work impacts the field.  The Balanced Mind Foundation is very grateful to Dr. Carlson for sharing her insights with our readers.

This is a transcript of a live chat held with Mary Fristad, Ph.D. on September 16, 2009.  Dr. Fristad is a Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Ohio State University, where she has been on faculty since 1986. Dr. Fristad is the Director of Research and Psychological Services in the OSU Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Fristad’s area of specialty is childhood mood disorders. She is has published over 100 articles and book chapters addressing the assessment and treatment of childhood-onset depression, suicidality and bipolar disorder (manic-depression).

Did you miss our chat with Christopher Correll? Read the transcript of this exciting and informative chat. To stay informed about monthly Expert Chats and other The Balanced Mind Foundation events, join our mailing list now by entering your email address and zip code in the box in the top right corner of the screen.

Christoph U. Correll, M.D., is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and research scientist. He graduated from the Medical School at the Free University of Berlin in Germany before completing his training in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry at the Zucker Hillside Hospital and Schneider Children's Hospital, New York. Dr. Correll's primary interest is in the timely identification and treatment of young people who are in the earliest stages of severe mental illnesses, including psychotic disorders. Dr. Correll is a member of The Balanced Mind Foundation's Scientific Advisory Council.

Did you miss our chat with Barbara Geller, M.D.? Read the transcript of this exciting and informative chat. The Balanced Mind Foundation will be hosting several more expert chats this Fall. Watch your email for more details. 

                               Biography

by Barbara Geller, M.D. and Joan Luby, M.D.
J Am Acad Child Adoles Psychiatry 36:1168-1176, 1997

Objective: To provide a review of the epidemiology, phenomenology, natural course, comorbidity, neurobiology, and treatment of child and adolescent bipolar disorder (BP) for the past 10 years. This review is provided to prepare applicants for recertification by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Method: Literature from Medline and other searches for the past 10 years, earlier relevant articles, and the authors' experience and ongoing National Institute of Mental Health-funded project "Phenomenology and Course of Pediatric Bipolarity" were used. Results: Age-specific,developmental (child, adolescent, and adult) DSM-IV criteria manifestations; comorbidity and differential diagnoses; and episode and course features are provided. Included are age-specific examples of childhood grandiosity, hypersexuality, and delusions. Differential diagnoses (e.g. specific language disorders, sexual abuse, conduct disorder [CD], schizophrenia, substance abuse), suicidality, and BP-II are discussed. Conclusion: Available data strongly suggest that prepubertal onset BP is a nonepisodic, chronic, rapid cycling, mixed manic state that may be comorbid with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) and CD or have features of ADHD and/or CD as initial manifestations. Systematic research on pediatric BP is in its infancy and will require ongoing and future studies to provide developmentally relevant diagnostic methods and treatment. J Am Acad Child AdolesPsychiatry, 1997, 36(9):1168-1176.

This series of articles by Gabrielle Carlson, M.D., has focused on possible early predictors of bipolar illness in children and adolescents. They cite that bipolar in children is more common than has been believed and that the illness overlaps with behavior disorders.  Depression is often early sign of BPD.