New screening tool for pediatric bipolar disorder

Dr Mani Pavuluri of the University of Illinois at Chicago and colleagues unveil the first parent rating scale to screen
for pediatric bipolar disorder during the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's annual meeting.
"Bipolar disorder is often confused with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder," says Dr. Pavuluri, director of the
pediatric mood disorders clinic at UIC and principal investigator of the study. "But this new screening tool differentiates
between the two disorders, making it a valuable and reliable tool for clinicians."


The Child Mania Rating Scale - Parent Version, known as CMRS-P, is based on information gathered from parents, the most
reliable source when screening for bipolar disorder in children. During development, researchers tested the 21-item rating
scale with clinicians and parents of all socio-economic backgrounds. The entire scale can be completed in approximately 15
minutes.


Existing screening tools for bipolar disorder are not designed for use in children.


"We hope the new rating scale will provide the essential next step in conducting epidemiological studies to estimate the
prevalence rate of bipolar disorder in children," says Pavuluri.


WHEN: Oct. 22, 1:30-4:30 p.m.


WHERE: Hilton Washington

1919 Connecticut Avenue NW

Washington, D.C.


DETAILS: Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depression, is characterized by extreme changes in mood. Patients may
alternate between deep depression and abnormal and persistent euphoria, or mania. In children, the disorder is associated
with sexual promiscuity, failure in school, and suicide. The disorder is often misdiagnosed and treated
unsuccessfully.


For more information about the pediatric mood disorders clinic at UIC, visit psych.uic/pmdc


Contact: Sherri McGinnis Gonzalez

smcginnuic

312-996-8277

Stanford University Medical Center