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Gabriella True

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder associated with Autoimmunity in Youth: Clinical Course before and after Rituximab+/- Adjunctive Immunomodulation
Frankovich J, Calaprice D, Ma M, Knight O, Miles K, Manko C, Hernandez JD, Sandberg J, Farhadian B, Xie Y, Silverman M, Madan J, Strand V, Chang K, Thienemann M. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder associated with Autoimmunity in Youth: Clinical Course before and after Rituximab+/- Adjunctive Immunomodulation. Dev Neurosci. 2025 Mar 10:1-26. doi: 10.1159/000544993. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40064151.
  • Case review (n=23) from Stanford on their use of rituximab for presumed-neuroimmune and severe OCD in youth
  • Some (47.8%) experienced transient increases in psychiatric or joint pain symptoms before signs of improvement. The time frame for signs of improvement was 3-4 months. 
  • 70% achieved full or partial recovery at 1-5 years.
  • Receiving adjunct immunomodulation was associated with a higher likelihood of achieving full or partial recovery compared with those without adjunct immunomodulation
IVIG Stopped Ella’s Self-Harm
IVIG Stopped Ella’s Self-Harm

Trigger Warning: Self-Harm & Suicide The following story discusses experiences with self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and psychiatric hospitalization. If you are sensitive to these topics, please...

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Neuroinflammation and pathways that contribute to Tourette Syndrome

Wu, X., Hao, J., Jiang, K. et al. Neuroinflammation and pathways that contribute to tourette syndrome. Ital J Pediatr 51, 63 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-025-01874-3

  • Tourette Syndrome (TS): A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by motor and vocal tics, often co-occurring with ADHD, OCD, and other psychological issues.
  • Neurotransmitter Imbalances: TS is traditionally linked to neurotransmitter disruptions, especially within the cortex-striatum-thalamus-cortex circuit, involving dopamine and glutamate.
  • Neuroinflammation: Emerging research shows neuroinflammation, often triggered by infections or allergies, contributes to neurotransmitter imbalances that may induce tics.
  • Infectious Triggers: Streptococcal infections (e.g., PANDAS), viral infections (e.g., enterovirus, COVID-19), and other pathogens (e.g., Chlamydia, Mycoplasma) are linked to TS exacerbation.
  • Immune Mechanisms: Inflammatory responses activate microglia and the peripheral immune system, disrupting neurotransmitter balance and leading to tics.