The Differences between ADHD with Bipolar Disorder Patients and ADHD Patients without Bipolar Disorder

Chungh, Dong Seon; Ha, Kyooseob; Jung, Hee Yeon; Koo, Hoon Jung; Hwang, Jun Won; Kim, Boong Nyun; Shin, Min Sup; Cho, Soo Churl; Hong, Kang E

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently comorbid with a variety of psychiatric disorders. Among them, bipolar disorder (BPD) has especially attracted growing interest. This is partly due to the fact that early onset BPD has been frequently misdiagnosed as ADHD because of symptomatic overlap. The aim of the present study is to find the differences in demographic data and clinical features of ADHD+BPD and ADHD in children and adolescents. METHOD: Children and adolescents patients participating in the present study have been enrolled at the child psychiatric clinic since 2004. 14 patients meeting the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD+BPD and 19 patients meeting the criteria for ADHD and 15 healthy comparison subjects were recruited. All groups were evaluated through the Schedule for Affective disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Life Time version-Korean version (K-SADS-PL-K). Demographic data and clinical characteristics of the subjects were also collected. Parents were asked to complete the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) and the Toddler Temperamental Scale (TTS) clinical ratings were obtained using the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), the Children's Depression Iventory (CDI) and the Dupaul ADHD scale. Clinical variables between ADHD+BPD and ADHD were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. YMRS, CDI, Dupaul ADHD scale (inattention and hyperactivity), CBCL, and TTS among the three groups were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc Mann-Whitney U test.
RESULTS
1) ADHD+BPD group had an earlier onset age of ADHD than ADHD group 2) ADHD+BPD group had more co-morbid psychiatric disorders than ADHD group. 3) Compared to ADHD group, ADHD+BPD had more psychiatric family history, especially mood disorders. 4) ADHD+BPD group had prodromal symptoms such as irritability, anger dyscontrol and academic dysfunction, compared to ADHD group who rarely showed prodromal symptoms. 5) ADHD+BPD group had higher ADHD scores than the ADHD group in the Dupaul ADHD inattentive scale. 6) In global functions of CBCL, ADHD+BPD group showed more impaired functions at home and school than ADHD group. 7) In Attention diagnostic system (ADS), ADHD+BPD group had more omission and commission errors than ADHD group, especially in the visual system. 8) In the subtests of the IQ profile, ADHD+BPD group had lower arithmetic and block design scores than ADHD group.
CONCLUSION
Clinicians have to rule out underlying bipolarity in children and adolescents with ADHD who show earlier age of onset and severe clinical features. Bipolarity should be explored intensively in ADHD children and adolescents who have early onset of symptoms and severe functional impairment.