Screening for bipolar disorders in Spanish-speaking populations: sensitivity and specificity of the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale-Spanish Version.

Background: Bipolar disorder is commonly misdiagnosed, perhaps more so in Latin American and Spanish-speaking populations than in the United States. The Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS) is a 19-item screening instrument designed to assist in screening for all types of bipolar disorder.

Methods: The authors investigated the sensitivity of a Spanish-language version of the BSDS in a cohort of 65 outpatients with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, based on a semi-structured interview and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria.

Valproate in very young children: an open case series with a brief follow-up.

We report nine cases of juvenile mania, of which six began in the preschool years. We provide validation by clinical description, family history of bipolar disorder, worsening on stimulants, and considerable mood stabilization with divalproex. This is a relatively new area of clinical observation, and systematic studies are needed to firmly establish this diagnostic category in very young children.