Differences between research groups in the approaches used to diagnose bipolar disorder in children and adolescents have limited the comparability of findings across research studies and have impeded progress in understanding the course of illness, in delineating etiology, and in developing efficacious interventions. The purpose of this meeting was to take an important step forward in resolving these methodological discrepancies.

Bipolar Spectrum Disorder is rare among children. But for parents who may have concerns about their youngster’s behavior, Dr. Ellen Leibenluft talks about possible warning signs. Dr. Leibenluft is Senior Investigator and Chief of the Bipolar Spectrum Disorder Section at the National Institute of Mental Health.

The best audio and video mental health presentations from the web, as selected by the The Balanced Mind Foundation.

Chart used to help track mood changes in children.

A new set of analyses of the NIMH-funded Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS) were conducted to better understand what may predict the development of suicidal events during treatment. The analyses, which were published in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, showed that youths with suicidal thoughts and more severe depression prior to treatment were at higher risk for suicidal events while undergoing treatment.

Nanci   
We are very excited to have Ellen Leibenluft, MD as our guest for this months’ The Balanced Mind Foundation expert chat. Dr. Leibenluft is a Senior Investigator and Chief of the Section on Bipolar Spectrum Disorders with the National Institute on Mental Health. Her research focuses on the brain mechanisms involved in bipolar disorder in children and adolescents and on diagnosis. If you are interested in participating in an NIMH research studies or just want more information, be sure to visit this webpage http://www.thebalancedmind.org/connect/find and search for "Research Studies"  or call the recruitment line phone number:  301-496-8381.

Ellen Leibenluft MD    
It's a pleasure to be with you all.

Nanci    
Dr. Leibenluft, it's been a year and half since we last chatted with you, would you like to update us on what's going on at the NIMH.

Nanci - The Balanced Mind Foundation 
I'm very pleased to introduce our guest expert today, Dr. Ellen Leibenluft. Dr. Leibenluft received her B.A. from Yale University in 1974 and an M.D. from Stanford University in 1978. After completing residency training at Georgetown University Hospital, she served on the faculty there as director of the psychiatric inpatient unit and day hospital. She then came to the NIMH, where she conducted research on bipolar disorder. In particular, her publications focus on rapid cycling bipolar disorder (a severe form of the illness) and on the role of the sleep-wake cycle in the illness. She has also written and spoken widely on gender differences in the prevalence and symptomatology of mood disorders. She is now actively involved in research on bipolar disorder in children and adolescents, with a particular emphasis on differences between children and adults in the presentation of the illness; neural mechanisms underlying the symptoms of the illness; and the development of new treatment strategies for early-onset bipolar disorder.

Nanci - The Balanced Mind Foundation 
Dr. Leibenluft, would you like to start out by talking about the research that you are doing with the NIMH?

Dr. Ellen Leibenluft

First, I want to say that it’s a pleasure to be here "chatting" with you all. Our research is focused on the brain mechanisms that underlie bipolar disorder in children, and also very severe irritability. We hope that these studies will move us closer to better treatments and even prevention of the illness. We are also interested in children with have a sibling or parent with bipolar disorder, and therefore are at risk for the illness. 

Husseini, Manji M.D. is Chief of the Laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). He was born in Kenya and moved to Vancouver as a teenager. In 2002, Dr. Manji joined the Professional Advisory Council of The Balanced Mind Foundation, and often answers science questions from our members. Dr. Manji edits several journals and has received numerous prestigious awards, summarized here.

Researchers  discussed whether Bipolar Disorder exists in prepubertal children (2000). There was agreement that both Bipolar types exist in this population, as well as other phenotypic possibilities that do not meet DSM-IV criteria.