Project Summary

Jessica H. Kalmar, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of Yale University , will conduct brain-imaging studies to distinguish between pediatric bipolar disorder (BD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both conditions are difficult to distinguish due to similar symptoms of distractibility, impulsivity, overactivity, and irritability. But consequences of misdiagnosis and exposure to stimulants may impair prognosis in BD. Differentiating between BD and ADHD is critical for early detection and more targeted treatments of BD. While abnormalities in controlling behavioral impulses are common to BD and ADHD, affective dysregulation is more prominent in bipolar disorder and attentional and cognitive deficits are more pronounced in ADHD. These differences may be reflected in frontal-subcortical neural systems serving these functions. Dr. Kalmar has found the amygdala, which processes responses to emotional stimuli, is different in size and activity in BD adolescents relative to healthy adolescents, while the amygdala in ADHD has yielded negative results. Dr. Kalmar’s pilot data also suggest that neurocognitive dysfunction associated with these regional brain abnormalities may be detected using outside-of-scanner cognitive and behavioral testing. Results should lead to better diagnosis of the two conditions.

Program Area: MULTIPLE FOCUS\ADHD/Mood Disorders\ADHD/Bipolar

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