A Modified Approach to Use Escitalopram and Aripiprazole to Treat Bipolar Disorder in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Background: Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are more likely to suffer from additional psychiatric comorbidities such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder than the general population. This, combined with the communication deficits seen in ASD, makes diagnosing and managing new psychiatric disorders difficult. One must deduce whether or not the new symptoms represent an exacerbation of an existing disorder, a psychiatric illness induced by one of the many medications the patient is taking or is simply part of the autism spectrum.
Case Description: This report explores the diagnostic and management considerations in a case of a 14-year-old boy with ASD, anxiety, depression, and new onset of medically induced bipolar and related disorder (MIBRD). Little is known about the most competent way to manage a patient with ASD in this situation or the factors that may make a patient with ASD vulnerable to episodes of mania induced by medications.
Conclusion: Recognizing comorbidity and symptoms overlap is an essential part of managing the adolescent with ASD and mood disorders. Careful use of escitalopram and aripiprazole in this patient population could be helpful.
Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Mania, Antidepressant-induced mania.

Citation: Alenezi SM, Suntharalingam S, Hilton TN. A Modified Approach to Use Escitalopram and Aripiprazole to Treat Bipolar Disorder in a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. JUMJ, 2020 March 1; 7(1):37-41.