Bipolar Disorder Drug Used By Adults Is Safe For Children, Study

By R. Siva Kumar - 14 Oct '15 09:38AM

Research shows that a bipolar drug suggested for the use of adults by doctors is found to be "effective as well as safe" for children too, though only for short-term use.

The mental illness of bipolar disorder tends to lead to extreme mood swings, but is tough to detect and treat. About 3.4 million American kids and teens experience the early onset of bipolar disorder, says the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The study was published in the Oct. 12 issue of Pediatrics.

Right now, bipolar disorder can be treated with lithium, a mood stabiliser, and psychotherapy. However, all the available lithium drugs were not studied for their effectiveness and safety on children.

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Children's Center examined the effectiveness of lithium on children, differently grouping 81 children between the ages of 7 and 17 to imbibe lithium and a placebo for eight weeks.

The study involved giving the children a standard dose for the first month, and then slowly expanding it to give a maximum dose for the remaining weeks. Researchers then assessed the children's moods for bipolar disorder, and recorded the side effects of the drug on the children.

Children on lithium seemed to improve compared to others who took placebos. While half the children showed "very much improved" or "much improved" results compared to just 21 percent of children under the placebo, they also exhibited a few side-effects including weight gain and reduced kidney and thyroid function, said the authors in a press release.

"Until this study, there was no data to support the use of lithium in the treatment of youth with bipolar disorder," said Dr. Victor Fornari, director of child and adolescent psychiatry at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, N.Y., to HealthDay News. "This study provides evidence to support the efficacy and benefit of lithium in the treatment of children with bipolar disorder in a manic state."

More tests will determine the strength and effectiveness of the drug.