Overlap between autism spectrum disorder and bipolar affective disorder

At present there is a substantial uncertainty regarding the extent and nature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) co-occurrence due to disparate findings in previous studies. This paper aimed to find and review original studies on co-occurrence rates of ASD with BPAD, assess them, synthesize the findings in a systematic way, present an overview and make recommendations for future research.

Systematic literature searches were performed using several databases. Selected articles had to describe an original study that provided prevalence and/or incidence analysis on ASD co-occurring together with BPAD.

A significant minority of patients (7%) with ASD suffers from BPAD. An accurate detection of co-occurring ASD and BPAD can lead to a more targeted treatment and improve the patients' functioning and quality of life.