A strategy for identifying phenotypic subtypes: Concordance of symptom dimensions between sibling pairs who met screening criteria for a genetic linkage study of childhood-onset bipolar disorder using the Child Bipolar Questionnaire

BackgroundSpecific symptom dimensions have been used to establish phenotypic subgroups in recent genetic studies of bipolar disorder. In preparation for a genetic linkage study of childhood-onset bipolar disorder (COBPD), we conducted an exploratory analysis of the concordance of prominent symptom dimensions between sibling pairs (N = 260) who screened positive for COBPD. This report presents data on the potential usefulness of these dimensions in genotyping.MethodA principal components factor analysis was conducted on the symptoms of 2795 children who screened positive for COBPD on the Child Bipolar Questionnaire (CBQ). The resulting factors were used in a concordance analysis between 260 proband/sibling pairs and 260 proband/matched comparison pairs.ResultsTen factors were extracted. The strongest concordance coefficients (rho) between probands and siblings, and the widest contrasts between proband/sibling vs. proband/comparison pairs, were for Factor 9 (Fear of harm), Factor 5 (Aggression), Factor 10 (Anxiety), Factor 4 (Sensory sensitivity), Factor 6 (Sleep–wake cycle disturbances), and Factor 2 (Attention/Executive function deficits). Based on factor loadings and multivariate analyses, CBQ items were selected for a “Core Index” subscale that had a robust concordance estimate in the sibpair group (rho = 0.514, 95% CI 0.450–0.577) as compared to the proband-matched comparison group (rho = 0.093, 95% CI 0.008 to 0.178).LimitationsResearch diagnostic interviews (K-SADS P/L) were conducted to confirm bipolar diagnosis in only a subsample (N = 100) of the children whose data were used for the concordance analysis.ConclusionsOur data suggest a profile of heritable clinical dimensions in addition to classic mood symptomatology in COBPD. These features may represent a more homogeneous phenotypic subtype of COBPD that may prove more useful for delineating the neurobiology and genetics of the disorder than standard diagnostic models.