Differentiating Between Comorbidity and Symptom Overlap in ADHD and Early Onset Bipolar Disorder

Abstract

Reported rates of comorbidity between early onset bipolar disorder (BD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a wide range, perhaps due to developmental issues and differences in interpretation of overlapping symptoms. We compared questionnaire-based and neuropsychological measures of inattention and impulsivity/hyperactivity, in children/adolescents with ADHD combined subtype (ADHD-C; n26), concurrent ADHD-C and BD (n15), BD (n25) with Controls (n69). Sub-analyses were performed on BD with and without inattention symptoms. The two ADHD-C groups displayed neuropsychological impairments that were not found in the BD group in spite of subjective and questionnaire-rated inattention. The findings caution against over-diagnosis of ADHD in BD.