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Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcus

Evidence: Unconfirmed

Names

PANDAS
PANS
Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome
Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder associated with Streptococcus

Description

Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS) affect children, adolescents, and young adults who may present with acute onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or tics following strep infection. PANDAS is a subset of Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) in which similar symptoms result from a misguided immune response following other infectious or environmental triggers such as the flu, COVID, or tick-borne diseases.

Bloggers

N/A

Prevalence

US Cases: Unknown.

Typical Age of onset

Age 3-12

Note: The potential for strep reactions rapidly declines after age 12, but it is recognized that PANDAS could develop in adolescents. It is unlikely an adult would experience PANDAS symptoms for the first time, although it has been documented in a recent case study of a participant in Georgetown University’s PANDAS/PANS and Other Neuroimmune Disorders (POND) Brain Bank.

Symptoms

According to the PANS Research Consortium comprised of physicians and researchers from institutions such as Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and the National Institute of Mental Health, PANS is a clinical diagnosis requiring OCD and/or restrictive food intake as well as two or more of the following symptoms:

  • OCD and/or tics

  • Anxiety

  • Emotional lability

  • Depression

  • Irritability

  • Aggression

  • Severely oppositional behaviors

  • Behavioral or developmental regression

  • Deterioration in school performance, handwriting, or math skills

  • Sensory abnormalities

  • Sleep disturbances

  • Enuresis

  • Urinary frequency

PANDAS is the acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. PANDAS is a subset of PANS. Guidelines for diagnosing PANDAS include:

  1. Presence of OCD and/or tics

  2. Symptoms begin between age three and puberty

  3. Acute-onset and episodic (relapsing-remitting) course

  4. Association with Group A Streptococcal (GAS) infection

  5. Association with Neurological Abnormalities

Source: https://neuroimmune.org/patient-and-family-resources/ what-are-pans-pandas/

Some patients suffer from arthritis and comorbid conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and EhlersDanlos Syndrome (EDS).

References

MedicineNet
National Institute of Mental Health

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