Neurodevelopmental antecedents of early-onset bipolar affective disorder

Abstract

BackgroundDevelopmental impairments have been identified as a risk factor for early-onset schizophrenia. Affective symptoms are more common in children and adolescents with disordered neurodevelopment than in healthy controls.AimsTo test the hypothesis that severe early-onset mood disorders are associated with developmental antecedents.MethodWe retrospectively identified 38 adolescent cases (15 female, 23 male; mean age 14.4 years, range 11–18) who met ICD–10 Research Diagnostic Criteria for a manic episode, bipolar affective disorder or psychotic depression, and 41 controls (25 female, 16 male, mean age 14.2 years, range 11–18) with depression but without psychotic features.ResultsCases were significantly more likely to have experienced delayed language, social or motor development (OR 5.5, 95% CI=1.4–21.6, P=0.01). in particular those who develop psychotic symptoms (OR 7.2, 95% CI=1.8–28.6, P=0.003).ConclusionsCompared to early-onset unipolar depression, neurodevelopmental antecedents are over-represented in early-onset bipolar disorder. The validity of this finding was supported by contemporaneous IQ scores that are not subject to the same potential biases as case-note ratings.