What is PANS?
PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is when an infectious trigger, environmental factors, and other possible triggers create a misdirected immune response results in inflammation on a child’s brain. In turn, the child quickly begins to exhibit life changing symptoms such as OCD, severe restrictive eating, anxiety, tics, personality changes, decline in math and handwriting abilities, sensory sensitivities, and more.
PANS was introduced in 2012 by Dr. Susan Swedo in the paper From Research Subgroup to Clinical Syndrome: Modifying the PANDAS Criteria to Describe PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome).
In 2015, the JCAP Special Edition online is the first collection of research papers on PANDAS/PANS written by a Consortium of researchers and physicians. It is pivotal to the advancement of treatment and research for this subset of children.
What is PANDAS?
PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) occurs when strep triggers a misdirected immune response results in inflammation on a child’s brain. In turn, the child quickly begins to exhibit life changing symptoms such as OCD, anxiety, tics, personality changes, decline in math and handwriting abilities, sensory sensitivities, restrictive eating, and more.
What are the symptoms of PANS & PANDAS?
Symptom presentation and severity can vary from child to child. It can also vary in each exacerbation. Below is a list of possible symptoms a child may exhibit. Not all need to be present. Not all possible symptoms are listed.
OCD (OBSESSIVE/COMPULSIVE DISORDER)
See OCD in a Young Child for a list of how OCD can present itself. OCD is not only obsessive hand washing!
RESTRICTIVE EATING
This includes selective eating to full out food refusal. There can a variety of reasons why the child experiences this, including contamination fears, sensory sensitivities, trouble swallowing, fear of vomiting or weight gain, and more. If restrictive eating is resulting in severe weight loss, call your provider immediately.
TICS
ANXIETY
EMOTIONAL LABILITY
Emotional lability includes not being able to control one’s emotional response. It may include uncontrollable crying or laughing. This is a neurological symptom.
DEPRESSION
IRRITABILITY AND AGGRESSION
BEHAVIORAL REGRESSION
This includes baby talk.
DEVELOPMENTAL REGRESSION
DETERIORATION IN SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
This includes deterioration in math skills, inability to concentrate, difficulty retaining information, and school refusal. School performance can also be a result of another contributing symptom, such as OCD or severe separation anxiety.
CHANGES IN HANDWRITING
This includes margin drifts and legibility.
SENSORY SENSITIVITIES
This can include being sensitive to touch, sounds, and noise. Simple touches may feel like they are hurting. One may not be able to stand the way socks feel or the texture or temperature of certain foods. Sensory processing problems can also cause difficulty in finding an item when it is among a vast selection of items. For example, a child may have a hard time finding a shirt in a full dresser or finding words in a word search.
SOMATIC SIGNS
This includes sleeping difficulties, enuresis, frequent urination, and bed wetting.
HYPERACTIVITY
CHOREIFORM MOVEMENTS
SEVERE SEPARATION ANXIETY
HALLUCINATIONS
This includes both visual and auditory hallucinations.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE
DILATED PUPILS
URINARY PROBLEMS
*Definitions and symptom list from PANDASNetwork.org
