Translational neuroscience in pediatric bipolar disorder

Abstract

Evaluation of: Pavuluri MN, Passarotti AM, Lu LH, Carbray JA, Sweeney JA. Double-blind randomized trial of risperidone versus divalproex in pediatric bipolar disorder: fMRI outcomes. Psychiatric Res. 193(1), 28–37 (2011).

While controversial and often confounded with other forms of psychopathology, recent studies have shown that bipolar disorder (BD) is on the rise in children and adolescents. Research has made important strides in advancing our understanding of the phenomenology, neural underpinnings and treatment outcomes for BD youths. However, there is an increasing need to unite these domains to identify potential neural effects and predictors of treatment outcome. Pavuluri et al. have conducted such a study, evaluating the neural effects of divalproex or risperidone for pediatric BD. The future is likely to bring more of such studies, potentially resulting in a biomarker augmented approach to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric BD.

Keywords::

• adolescent
• bipolar disorder
• child
• functional MRI
• treatment effects

Financial & competing interests disclosure

No support was received for this work. DP Dickstein’s research is currently supported by R01MH087513, R01MH092450 and R01MH087513 without any industry support present or past. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.