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Psychiatrist Claims That Many Depressed Adults Have COBAD Syndrome

Dr. William Niederhut, a Denver psychiatrist, claims that many depressed adults fail to respond fully to conventional psychiatric treatment because they are suffering from an inherited mood disorder which he calls the "COBAD" syndrome, an acronym for "Childhood-Onset Bipolar Attention-Deficit" syndrome.

"These adults typically experience recurrent depression, irritability, and anxiety beginning in their childhood years, along with symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)," said Niederhut, a graduate of Harvard Medical School who has been treating depressed adults for the past twenty years. "Their ADHD is an integral part of their mood disorder, and prevents them from responding fully to standard treatment with mood stabilizers and antidepressants."

Researchers at Harvard first identified the features of the syndrome in children a decade ago, but, according to Niederhut, "psychiatrists studying bipolar disorders have been slow to recognize and successfully treat the syndrome in adults. Until now," he said, "the adult form of this syndrome has not even been named in our literature."

Niederhut became interested in the Harvard research literature on children with the syndrome two years ago after both of his daughters were diagnosed with childhood bipolar disorders. He then recognized a mild form of the syndrome in himself, and began to identify its features in many of his adult patients.

"I have found that the syndrome is quite common in adults, and can be successfully treated in most cases," he said. "Many of my patients with the syndrome feel well now for the first time in years, without symptoms of depression, ADHD, or mania. They are also functioning better at work and in their personal lives."

For the past two years Niederhut has been carefully refining his approach to diagnosing and treating adults with the syndrome. He has published his findings, together with a summary of the research literature on the subject, in his new book, "The COBAD Syndrome: New Hope for People Suffering from the Inherited Syndrome of Childhood-Onset Bipolar Disorder with ADHD."

"My book calls for a paradigm shift in psychiatric diagnosis," he said. "We need to do more than 'stabilize' moods for people with this syndrome. We must also recognize and treat the ADHD that is an inherent, disabling part of the disorder."

     
   psychiatrist
   William Niederhut, M.D.
   Denver,    CO,    80246
   USA
   (303) 331-0662 (phone)
   (303) 377-3849 (fax)
   WNiederhutMD@aol.com