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Mental Health Awareness Month
April 27, 2024
Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, highlighting the prevalence of mental health conditions, with nearly half of Americans meeting diagnostic criteria. But what percentage of them should receive a...

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Category:  Blog
Teacher Appreciation Week
April 27, 2024
Teacher Appreciation Week

National Teacher Day is May 7, 2024, and National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10, 2024 Teachers and schools, your dedication shines brightly. We appreciate those who have attended an ASPIRE...

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Category:  Blog
Prevalence of Neurological Soft Signs at Presentation in Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome
Jane E. Zebrack, Jaynelle Gao, Britta Verhey, Lu Tian, Christopher Stave, Bahare Farhadian, Meiqian Ma, Melissa Silverman, Yuhuan Xie, Paula Tran, Margo Thienemann, Jenny L. Wilson, Jennifer Frankovich,  Prevalence of Neurological Soft Signs at Presentation in Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome medRxiv 2024.04.26.24306193; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.04.26.24306193
  • 79.8% had at least one NSS-BG (neurological soft signs/behaviors).
  • Average of 2.1 NSS-BG per patient.
  • More NSS-BG = higher global impairment and more symptoms.
  • Regression Results:
    • NSS-BG correlated with global impairment and symptom count (p=0.045 and p=0.002, respectively).
    • No correlation with age or PANS duration at presentation.
  • Conclusions:
    • High NSS-BG prevalence in PANS.
    • NSS-BG linked to severity, not age.
    • Suggests targeted neurological exams could aid PANS diagnosis.
Implementing dietary changes with children affected by PANS/PANDAS

Khimani, Kynza & Abadía-Barrero, César & LaRusso, Maria. (2024). Implementing dietary changes with children affected by PANS/PANDAS. Children’s Health Care. 1-19. 10.1080/02739615.2024.2338763.

  • 64.7% of the 467 survey participants indicated that a healthcare provider recommended dietary changes as part of PANS/PANDAS treatment.
  • 55.7% of the families did implement dietary changes
  • 69.6% reported at least one diet to be somewhat effective in helping with PANS/PANDAS symptoms
  • 36% reported dietary changes to be very effective, particularly gluten-free and sugar-free diet
  • Some parents and clinicians highlighted children’s resistance to new diets and concerns about worsening OCD and food-restrictive disorders as barriers to implementing dietary changes