Bipolar disorder in adult patients with Tourette's syndrome: a clinical study.

BACKGROUND

Although recent clinical and epidemiological studies indicate that Tourette's syndrome (TS) is associated with a higher than expected rate of bipolar disorder (BPD), the clinical characteristics of BPD in patients with TS have not been widely investigated.

METHODS

Thirty adult TS patients with comorbid BPD were selected from a consecutive series of 90 referred TS patients and examined using structured psychiatric rating scales.

RESULTS

The full clinical spectrum of BPD was found, including bipolar I disorder, schizoaffective bipolar disorder, bipolar II disorder, and cyclothymic disorder. Atypical vegetative depressive symptoms, rapid cycling patterns, and seasonal patterns of recurrence were also documented. In the present clinical sample, BPD mainly occurred in patients with mild tic symptoms and was invariably associated with a high lifetime prevalence of general psychopathology, including generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic, phobias, eating disorders, self-injurious behavior, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, impulse control disorders, and personality disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this clinical study indicate that BPD and nonaffective psychopathology may be prominent comorbid disorders in a subpopulation of patients with TS.