Posts by:
Gabriella True

Tang AW, Swedo SE, Pasternack M, Murphy T, et al. Eight cases of pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome: clinical characteristics. Developmental Neuroscience. 2025;47(4):287–302. doi:10.1159/000543969

Please read more in depth blog – When PANS and IBD Co-Occur: What This Case Series Suggests

• Identifies a subgroup of children with PANS characterized by the triad of PANS symptoms, joint complaints, and family history of autoimmunity (including psoriasis).

• Suggests this subgroup may be at increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease and other immune-mediated disorders.

• Recommends a low threshold for evaluation of gastrointestinal inflammation using biomarkers such as hemoglobin, CRP, fecal calprotectin, and endoscopy when indicated.

• Reports that PANS symptoms may improve with effective treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

• Notes high prevalence of joint complaints and autoimmune family history, suggesting shared immune mechanisms with psoriasis and arthritis.

• Proposes that treatments used in inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis warrant study for potential application in PANS.

Rachel Goren, Ari Bitnun, Asif Doja, Peter J Gill, Ronald M Laxer, Deborah M Levy, Tamara Pringsheim, Paul Sandor, Eluen Ann Yeh, Colin Wilbur, Sefi Kronenberg, Michelle Shouldice, Frequency and impact of paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome/paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections diagnosis in Canada, Paediatrics & Child Health, 2024;, pxae092, https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxae092

In a Canadian study, a significant percentage of children diagnosed with PANDAS/PANS had OCD and/or tics, with the majority experiencing at least two neuropsychiatric symptoms, and healthcare utilization was high, including emergency visits and inpatient admissions

• The Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program estimated that the prevalence of PANS/PANDAS was 1 in 60,115 (0.0017%) for children ages 3 through 18 years
• The core diagnostic criteria of OCD, tics, or acute food refusal was absent in 12% of cases with 22% reporting sudden symptom onset
• Infection was associated with onset or exacerbation in less than 1 out of every 3 cases
• Most of the population exhibited 2+ neuropsychiatric symptoms with significant health care utilization amongst cases

• Initial Decline: Pediatric infections dropped during COVID-19 due to safety measures.
• Post-Pandemic Surge: Infections rebounded as restrictions eased, with changes in severity, strains, and affected age groups.
• Key Cause: Immunity debt from reduced exposure, not new variants or resistance.
• Impact: Unusual symptoms emerged, offering new insights into disease spread and progression.