). Medication is usually the first course of action in an effective treatment plan. Similar to the differences between COBPD and bipolar disorder affecting adults pertaining to diagnosis, there are drugs that have been proven to work on adults that are not as effective in children. One of these drugs is the mood stabilizer, Lithium. Lithium and other mood stabilizers cause changes in the balance of chemicals in the brain. The difficulty with prescribing a mood stabilizer to a child with COBPD is that, while being effective on manic and hypomanic episodes, they are not effective in decreasing depressive episodes. In other words, taking a mood stabilizer may cause a childs cycling pattern to stop, but the child will still experience the depressive episodes. Lithium, as with other mood stabilizers, is also not as effective in children as it is in adults. Recently, mood stabilizers have become the second string of drugs used to combat bipolar disorder. The reasons being that the newer drugs (called Atypical Antipsychotics) are more effective, they work faster, are easier to use, and have less side effects. The most studied of the newer atypical antipsychotics is Risperdal (Risperidone). This drug has been found to be 85% effective in combating the symptoms of Childhood Onset Bipolar Disorder (CABF Learning Center). Risperdal not only treats the mood swings occurring with bipolar disorder, but it also calms down the irritability and rages that these children often experience. As with all drugs, there are some side effects with Risperdal, with most people reporting a significant weight gain, but they are not common. With bipolar disorder affecting over a million people in this country, researchers are constantly looking for safer, faster, more effective drugs. In a recent study, Dr. Michael H. Allen composed a group study of fifty-nine hospitalized patients exhibiting manic episodes. Dr. Allen was interested in finding a treatment that would ...
