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Objective: Neurodevelopmental origin of bipolar disorders in adolescents has recently become a topical question of research. The objective of our survey was to study the neurodevelopmental factors associated to the adolescent's bipolar disorders.
Material and Methods: We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study on 30 files of adolescents who were followed in the child psychiatry department of Sfax (Tunisia) for bipolar disorders diagnosed according to the DSM-IV TR criteria during a period of 5 years (from January 1st 2003 till December 31st 2007)
Results: We have noted antecedents of delay in psychomotor development in 26.6% of cases, low birth weight in 20% of cases and neonatal Suffering in only one case.
A neurological disease or minor neurological sign were found in 33.3 % of cases, each in 16.6% of cases. Neurological disease was as type of epilepsy in 10% of Cases, leucoencephalomyelitis in 3.3% of cases, Muscular dystrophy in 3.3% of cases and Down's syndrome in 3.3% of cases. Neurological signs were as type of strabismus, trembling, myoclonus and pyramidal syndrome.
Conclusion: Throughout our study, we notice the high frequency of neurological pathology and anomalies in bipolar disorders. However, the small sample size in our study is a limitation on the generalizability of our findings. That's why, further study, including a larger population, is required in order to confirm our results. In addition, using electrophysiological and neuroimaging assessments are imperative in order to enrich knowledge on the etiology of bipolar disorders.