ANALYSIS OF A PROLONGED HYPOMANIC EPISODE IN A FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD

Presents a case report of a five year old Jewish boy with a prolonged hypomanic episode. In addition to a difficulty in using his left arm and leg the mother complained the child suffered severe disturbances of his sleep. The patient was an only child of normal parents. The family history gave no evidence of hereditary nervous disease. Birth had been normal after full-term gestation and the child appeared normal at birth. At 5 months the child had an attack in which he became “like dead” and was cold, quiet and stiff. He was revived and for the next few days was listless and did not cry. It was difficult to feed him but he did not vomit. No inflammatory disease had preceded this episode. At 10 months convulsions set in, which became more frequent until there were several each day. Attack consisted of a definite warning, in which the child called to his mother and pointed to his left hand, the first area to show abnormal movement. He then became unconscious, eyes rolled up, head turned to the left, and body became rigid. There were clonic movements, first of the left hand and arm, then of the left lower extremity; there had never been movements of the right side of the body. Attack usually lasted about five minutes and then he fell into a deep sleep. The occurrence of a hypomanic state with flight of ideas and distractibility in a child of this age is a matter of special interest. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)