About Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS / PANDAS)

By Henry-001 on

Name of the medical condition and other names that it’s been known by

  • Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome

  • PANS

  • Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections

  • PANDAS

  • PANDAS is a subset of PANS

What is Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome?

Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome is a condition that affects children and causes sudden, dramatic changes in their behavior and mental health. It usually starts very quickly, sometimes overnight. The main symptoms are obsessive-compulsive behaviors (like repeated hand washing or checking things) or severe eating restrictions.

Kids with PANS might also have:

  • Anxiety

  • Mood swings

  • Irritability

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Difficulty with schoolwork

  • Problems with coordination or movement

PANS is thought to be triggered by infections, but doctors aren't always sure what causes it. In PANDAS specifically, the trigger is a strep infection, like strep throat. When a child gets PANS, their immune system is believed to react in a way that affects their brain. This causes sudden changes in behavior and thinking. It's like the brain gets inflamed or irritated, leading to all these symptoms.

Doctors diagnose PANS by examining a child's symptoms and how quickly they appeared. There's no single test that can say for sure if someone has PANS. Instead, doctors have to rule out other possible causes of the symptoms. Treating PANS can be tricky because it affects each child differently. Treatment usually involves a combination of approaches:

  • Treating any underlying infections with antibiotics

  • Using medicines to help with OCD, anxiety, or other mental health symptoms

  • In some cases, using treatments that affect the immune system

  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy to help kids cope with their symptoms

  • Supporting the child and family with education and counseling

It's important to know that PANS can come and go. Some kids might have one episode and recover completely, while others might have symptoms that last longer or come back multiple times. PANS can be hard for kids and their families. The sudden changes can be scary and confusing. However, with proper treatment and support, many children with PANS do get better over time.

Trend

  • Unfortunately, there aren’t exact numbers for how many people in the US have PANS/PANDAS. This is because it's a relatively new diagnosis and can be hard to identify. However, some experts estimate that PANS might affect 1-2% of children. That would mean about 1 to 2 out of every 100 kids could have PANS.

  • There aren’t specific numbers for the last five years or projections for the next five years. However, as doctors learn more about PANS and get better at diagnosing it, we might see more cases identified in the future.

History

PANS and PANDAS are fairly new discoveries in the medical world. In the 1980s, doctors at the National Institute of Mental Health noticed some children had sudden OCD symptoms after infections. They focused on strep infections and named this PANDAS in the late 1990s.

As they learned more, they realized other infections could cause similar symptoms. This led to the broader diagnosis of PANS in 2010. Since then, doctors and researchers have been working to understand these conditions better and find the best ways to treat them.

Source of Information

For informational purposes only. Consult a medical professional for advice.


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