115 Additionally, cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was found to reduce manic and depressive symptoms in youth diagnosed with a bipolar disorder spectrum disorder after 12 sessions.116 CBT supplemented with familyfocused therapy has also shown to ameliorate bipolar symptoms and increase global functioning scores in patients with bipolar

disorder.117 Furthermore, the childand Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical family-focused CBT program was effective in maintaining long-term management of mood symptoms over 3 years in youths with bipolar disorder.118 Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy (IPSRT) is another treatment that uses some of CBT’s behavioral interventions to address mood symptoms. However, IPSRT also focuses both on the youth’s expectations Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical in their own interpersonal life, and attempts to help the patient maintain stable social and sleep routines.119 In adults, IPSRT has been found to be effective in prolonging

the time until patients experience a new mood episode.120 Based on these adult data, IPSRT may be an effective treatment for adolescents with bipolar disorder.119 However, Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical due to difficulties in extrapolating adult based behavioral interventions in préadolescents, IPSRT has not been studied in younger children. In short, multiple psychosocial treatments have been reported to be effective and are learn more becoming more refined to address issues specific to youth with bipolar disorder. These treatments may prove to be useful in increasing medication treatment adherence and providing the additional assistance needed where medication is not able to fully treat all aspects of pediatric bipolarity. Future areas of research Although Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical recent research has broadened the knowledge about bipolar disorder in youth, there are many unanswered questions that remain. More phenomenology studies may provide insights into whether or not the comorbid symptoms of additional

psychiatric Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical disorders that are seen in this population are distinct, separate entities, or simply part of this mood disorder when it presents during childhood. Furthermore, as children appear to experience more elevated mood and irritability in comparison with adults who report more depressive symptoms, future longitudinal Astemizole examinations may provide answers to the question of whether or not symptoms of childhood bipolarity evolve into more adult-like presentations over time. Examining youths who are at high risk for developing bipolar disorder, such as offspring of parents with mood disorders, provides a unique opportunity in carefully characterizing the evolution of mood symptomatology. By exploring high-risk cohorts and identifying prodromal symptoms, effective treatments can be used earlier in the course of pediatric bipolarity.