Clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disability

Introduction Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents is distinguished by a variable and complex clinical expression. Mood is difficult to assess, mood symptoms are often masked and signs of disorganization may be in the limelight. This can be more difficult when adolescents have intellectual...

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Main Authors: M. Hafnaoui, R. Gadhoum, Z. Abbes, M. Hajri, S. Jelili, S. Halayem, A. Bouden
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2021-04-01
Series:European Psychiatry
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821016928/type/journal_article
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author M. Hafnaoui
R. Gadhoum
Z. Abbes
M. Hajri
S. Jelili
S. Halayem
A. Bouden
author_facet M. Hafnaoui
R. Gadhoum
Z. Abbes
M. Hajri
S. Jelili
S. Halayem
A. Bouden
author_sort M. Hafnaoui
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents is distinguished by a variable and complex clinical expression. Mood is difficult to assess, mood symptoms are often masked and signs of disorganization may be in the limelight. This can be more difficult when adolescents have intellectual disability (ID). Objectives This work aims to describe diagnostical and therapeutical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with ID. Methods Case reports about five patients who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder associated to ID, all seen and treated in child and adolescent psychiatry department of Razi Hospital, in Tunis. Results The study focused on three girls and two boys, all with mild to moderate ID. Four patients had psychiatric family history of bipolar disorder and ID. Only one patient was followed since childhood for mixed ADHD. The average age of onset of bipolar disorder was 14 years. Four cases were inaugurated by manic access; the fifth was a depressive disorder followed by a manic shift under sertraline. Only one case was rapidly favorable, under 10mg of Olanzapine, without any recurrence or relapse during 18 months of follow-up. Another case was slower but also favorable, under 10mg of Olanzapine. We found resistance to usual treatments for 2 patients; these did not evolve well under conventional thymoregulators, or different antipsychotic molecules, nor with combinations of two thymoregulators + an antipsychotic. One of them benefited from a combination of clozapine and lithium with excellent response. Conclusions Bipolar disorder comorbid with ID in adolescents is a difficult diagnostic entity and particularly hard to manage. Disclosure No significant relationships.
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spelling doaj.art-d26f1968ff1542c4a26c87699ddf70d02023-11-17T05:06:46ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S637S63710.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.1692Clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disabilityM. Hafnaoui0R. Gadhoum1Z. Abbes2M. Hajri3S. Jelili4S. Halayem5A. Bouden6Child And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, RAZI HOSPITAL, Mannouba, TunisiaChild And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, RAZI HOSPITAL, Mannouba, TunisiaChild And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, RAZI HOSPITAL, Mannouba, TunisiaChild And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, RAZI HOSPITAL, Mannouba, TunisiaChild And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, RAZI HOSPITAL, Mannouba, TunisiaChild And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, RAZI HOSPITAL, Mannouba, TunisiaChild And Adolescent Psychiatry Department, RAZI HOSPITAL, Mannouba, Tunisia Introduction Bipolar disorder in children and adolescents is distinguished by a variable and complex clinical expression. Mood is difficult to assess, mood symptoms are often masked and signs of disorganization may be in the limelight. This can be more difficult when adolescents have intellectual disability (ID). Objectives This work aims to describe diagnostical and therapeutical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with ID. Methods Case reports about five patients who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder associated to ID, all seen and treated in child and adolescent psychiatry department of Razi Hospital, in Tunis. Results The study focused on three girls and two boys, all with mild to moderate ID. Four patients had psychiatric family history of bipolar disorder and ID. Only one patient was followed since childhood for mixed ADHD. The average age of onset of bipolar disorder was 14 years. Four cases were inaugurated by manic access; the fifth was a depressive disorder followed by a manic shift under sertraline. Only one case was rapidly favorable, under 10mg of Olanzapine, without any recurrence or relapse during 18 months of follow-up. Another case was slower but also favorable, under 10mg of Olanzapine. We found resistance to usual treatments for 2 patients; these did not evolve well under conventional thymoregulators, or different antipsychotic molecules, nor with combinations of two thymoregulators + an antipsychotic. One of them benefited from a combination of clozapine and lithium with excellent response. Conclusions Bipolar disorder comorbid with ID in adolescents is a difficult diagnostic entity and particularly hard to manage. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821016928/type/journal_article
spellingShingle M. Hafnaoui
R. Gadhoum
Z. Abbes
M. Hajri
S. Jelili
S. Halayem
A. Bouden
Clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disability
European Psychiatry
title Clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disability
title_full Clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disability
title_fullStr Clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disability
title_full_unstemmed Clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disability
title_short Clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disability
title_sort clinical features of bipolar disorder in adolescents with intellectual disability
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821016928/type/journal_article
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