Biomedical subjects

K D Chang

Publications and source records attributed to K D Chang.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Family environment of children and adolescents with bipolar parents.

OBJECTIVES: The effect of family environment on the development of bipolar disorder (BD) in children is not known. We sought to characterize families with children at high risk for developing BD in order to better understand the contributions of family environment to the development of childhood BD. METHODS: We collected demographic data and parental ratings on the Family Environment Scale (FES) for 56 children (aged 6-18 years) from 36 families with at least one biological parent with BD. The cohort had previously been psychiatrically diagnosed according to semistructured interviews. RESULTS: Statistical comparisons with normative data indicated that parents' ratings were significantly lower on the FES Cohesion and Organization scales and were significantly higher on the FES Conflict scale. Multivariate analyses of variance indicated that families with both parents having a mood disorder had no significantly different FES scores than families with only one parent with a mood disorder (BD). Diagnostic data indicated that while 54% of the children in the sample had an Axis I disorder and 14% had BD, FES scores did not differ significantly for subjects with or without an Axis I disorder, or with or without BD. CONCLUSIONS: Families with a bipolar parent differ from the average family in having less cohesion and organization, and more conflict. Despite this difference, it does not appear that the environment alone of families with a bipolar parent determines the outcome of psychopathology in the children, or that the psychopathology of the children determines the family environment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Special issues in the treatment of paediatric bipolar disorder.

Paediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is an increasingly diagnosed disorder affecting an estimated 1% of children and adolescents. Pharmacological treatment studies in PBD have lagged far behind those in adults. Children are currently treated with pharmacological agents, most of which have proven efficacy in adults. However, PBD is distinct from adult forms of bipolar disorder (BD) and may present unique treatment challenges. PBD often presents with rapid cycling and mixed manic states and a high co-morbidity with behavioural and attention disorders. Early onset depression may also be an early sign of PBD. Due to developmental considerations, the diagnosis of BD may be difficult to make in children without semi-structured interviews. This report discusses the special issues that should be considered when treating PBD and reviews the current literature regarding pharmacotherapy of this population. Mood stabilisers have been studied mostly in an open, uncontrolled fashion but there is growing evidence that lithium, divalproex and carbamazepine are effective in treating PBD. More recent treatment options include atypical antipsychotics and newer anticonvulsants. Other novel agents are currently being investigated in adult BD and may prove applicable to the paediatric form. Finally, based on the available data, a treatment algorithm for PBD is proposed.

Anticonvulsants↗

PubMed2000

Mood stabilizer augmentation with olanzapine in acutely manic children.

We report on three cases of acutely manic prepubertal children diagnosed with bipolar disorder who were treated with olanzapine in addition to their existing mood stabilizer regimens. All three had marked improvement of their manic symptoms within 3-5 days of beginning olanzapine therapy as measured by clinician-rated instruments. Adverse effects included sedation and weight gain. These results suggest that olanzapine may have an antimanic or mood stabilizing effect in acutely manic children with bipolar disorder.

Antimanic Agents↗

PubMed2000

Psychiatric phenomenology of child and adolescent bipolar offspring.

OBJECTIVE: To establish prodromal signs of and risk factors for childhood bipolar disorder (BD) by characterizing youths at high risk for BD. METHOD: Structured diagnostic interviews were performed on 60 biological offspring of at least one parent with BD. Demographics, family histories, and parental history of childhood disruptive behavioral disorders were also assessed. RESULTS: Fifty-one percent of bipolar offspring had a psychiatric disorder, most commonly attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depression or dysthymia, and BD. BD in offspring tended to be associated with earlier parental symptom onset when compared with offspring without a psychiatric diagnosis. Bipolar parents with a history of childhood ADHD were more likely to have children with BD, but not ADHD. Offspring with bilineal risk had increased severity of depressed and irritable mood, lack of mood reactivity, and rejection sensitivity, while severity of grandiosity, euphoric mood, and decreased need for sleep were not preferentially associated with such offspring. CONCLUSIONS: Bipolar offspring have high levels of psychopathology. Parental history of early-onset BD and/or childhood ADHD may increase the risk that their offspring will develop BD. Prodromal symptoms of childhood BD may include more subtle presentations of mood regulation difficulties and less presence of classic manic symptoms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Differences in thyroid function between bipolar manic and mixed states.

BACKGROUND: High rates of thyroid axis abnormalities have been reported in most studies of patients with rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Mixed states share similarities with rapid-cycling, including close temporal occurrence of manic and depressive symptoms, predominance in women, poor outcome, and less robust response to lithium compared with pure mania; however, thyroid axis abnormalities have not been well studied in mixed mania. METHODS: To test the hypothesis that mixed states are associated with a higher prevalence of hypothyroidism than pure mania, immunoreactive triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations were determined from serum obtained at the time of admission in 37 consecutive patients with DSM-III-R bipolar disorder, manic or mixed. RESULTS: The mean TSH concentration was significantly higher, and the mean T4 concentration was significantly lower in patients with mixed mania compared with pure mania. There were no significant differences in T3 concentration or in previous lithium exposure. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest thyroid axis dysfunction is more common in bipolar mixed than in bipolar manic patients.

Adult↗