Response to second generation antipsychotics in youth with comorbid bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorder.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of comorbid autism spectrum disorders (ASD) on the response to second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) in pediatric bipolar disorder (BPD).

METHODS

Secondary analysis of identically designed 8-week open-label trials of SGA monotherapy (risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, or aripiprazole) in youth with BPD.

RESULTS

Of the 151 BPD subjects 15% (n= 23) met criteria for comorbid ASD. There were no differences in the rate of antimanic response (YMRS change ≥30% or CGI-Improvement ≤2: 65% vs. 69%; P= 0.7) in the presence of comorbid ASD.

CONCLUSION

No difference observed in the rate of antimanic response or tolerability to SGA monotherapy in the presence of ASD comorbidity.