title: Pediatric bipolar disorder: diagnostic challenges in identifying symptoms and course of illness.
abstract: Based on available literature, this article reviews the challenges associated with diagnosing pediatric bipolar disorder. The article also reviews and provides discussion on the assessment tools, complex mood cycling, and clinical symptoms of pediatric bipolar disorder. The challenge of differentiating common comorbid disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder from pediatric bipolar disorder is presented and discussed. A discussion of the validity of diagnosis in longitudinal studies is also provided.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Singh is Assistant Professor, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, Ohio.
authors.forename: Tanvir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Singh