Bipolar Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents

The relationship between bipolar disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) inchildren and adolescents has been one of the most hotly debated topics in recent child psychiatry literature.At the heart of the matter is whether large numbers of children with bipolar disorder are beingunrecognized or misdiagnosed. The differential diagnoses of juvenile-onset bipolar disorder can becomplicated by many factors, but the most common clinical dilemmas seem to arise from overlappingsymptomatology with ADHD and the differing treatment strategies these diagnoses imply. This articlediscusses the similarities and differences between these disorders with respect to phenomenology, epidemiology,family history, brain imaging, and treatment response.