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Ethnicity and Age at Onset in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2011

Naima Javaid ,
James L. Kennedy  and
Vincenzo De Luca
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Abstract

Introduction

To determine the influence of ethnicity on the age at onset (AAO) and further understand the significance of AAO as a clinical marker of bipolar and schizoaffective disorders.

Methods

Admixture analysis was used to identify sub-groups characterized by differences in AAO. Differences in clinical features were analyzed for these sub-groups using multivariate logistic regression. Comparisons were made with previous studies using the 2-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test.

Results

Admixture analysis yielded a combination of 2 normal theoretical distributions with means (SD) of 16.9 (3.6) for the early-onset sub-group and 24.4 (9.2) years for the late-onset sub-group. The sub-groups were divided by a cut-off of 22 years. There were significant differences between the early and late onset bipolar patient populations regarding substance abuse comorbidity (P=.044) and psychotic features (P=.015). Ethnicity did not have a significant influence on the AAO.

Discussion

The associations between early-onset and higher incidence of psychosis and substance abuse in our sample are consistent with other studies exploring the AAO in bipolar disorder.

Conclusion

Our findings support the notion of AAO as a clinical marker for the underlying heterogeneity of bipolar spectrum disorders. In particular, we found a strong overlap of early AAO with clinical features associated with greater severity and poor outcome.

Type
Original Research
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 16 , Issue 6 , June 2011 , pp. 127 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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Footnotes

Faculty Disclosures: Javaid reports no affiliations with or financial interest in any organixation that may pose a conflict of interest. Dr. Kennedy has been on the speaker's bureau of Eli Lilly. Dr. De Luca is the recipient of a NARSAD Young Investigator Award; a salaried employee at CAMH, and an employee at the University of Toronto.

References

Faculty Disclosures: Javaid reports no affiliations with or financial interest in any organixation that may pose a conflict of interest. Dr. Kennedy has been on the speaker's bureau of Eli Lilly. Dr. De Luca is the recipient of a NARSAD Young Investigator Award; a salaried employee at CAMH, and an employee at the University of Toronto.