title: Pharmacologic treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents.
abstract: This review focuses mainly on published articles regarding the treatment of school-aged children and adolescents with pediatric bipolar disorder. In light of systematic reviews, large randomized controlled trial data are emphasized wherever possible. This review addresses the treatment of acute manic/mixed episodes, including combination treatment, the preliminary literature regarding bipolar depression among youth, treatment in the face of comorbid conditions, and maintenance treatment. Suggestions regarding future directions are offered. A clinical vignette describing a teen with bipolar disorder is presented and bipolar medications, dosing, efficacy, side effects, contraindications, and succinct comments on each medication are summarized.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. benjamin.goldstein@sunnybrook.ca
authors.forename: Benjamin I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.forename: Rasim S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Diler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018692:Antimanic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018692:Antimanic Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D014149:Tranquilizing Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines