Safety Study of Sodium Divalproate in Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents

Inclusion Criteria: * Adolescent boys or girls aged 13 to 18 inclusive * Weighing more than 40 kg * Capable of understanding the protocol * Who have given their written consent, as have their parents or legal guardian unless the adolescent has passed his/her 18th birthday * Presenting the diagnostic characteristics of manic, mixed or hypomanic episodes of bipolar disorder established in accordance with the DSM IV, gathered in a semi-structured interview (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview - M.I.N.I.) * With a score on the YMRS scale (Young Mania Rating Scale) \>= 14 for the manic or mixed episode or \>= 10 for the hypomanic episode * Absence in blood of valproic acid at the inclusion visit * Willing to use effective contraception in the case of girls of child-bearing potential. In this case the investigator should satisfy him/herself as to the psychological capacity of the patient to understand and undertake use of this contraception. * Whose physiological test results are normal: hepatic function, blood count, lipid levels, fasting blood glucose level, blood urea, blood ammonia, blood protein, serum creatinine levels and plasma ions Exclusion Criteria: * General criteria: * Pregnant girls, or those breast-feeding or those for whom a pregnancy test is positive (blood beta HCG test) * Simultaneous participation in another study or in the 2 months preceding selection of the patient * Psychiatric criteria: * Established or known mental retardation * Autistic disorders * Established schizophrenia * Schizoaffective disorders * Somatic criteria: * Medical or organic disease of the CNS (epilepsy, tumour etc.) * Any known renal, cardiac or haematological disease, or disease of the immune system * Endocrine disorders and/or any biochemical abnormality known or existing at the moment of inclusion * Exclusion criteria linked to the treatment * Known hypersensitivity to valproate or to sodium divalproate or to one of the constituents of the drug * Hepatic disease: acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, past personal or family history of severe hepatitis particularly caused by medicinal products, hepatic porphyria * Treatment with lamotrigine, (Lamictal) * Treatment with mefloquine, (Lariam) * Any treatment based on valproate * Treatment with methylphenidate (Ritalin) The above information is not intended to contain all considerations relevant to a patient's potential participation in a clinical trial.