Masterson EE, Miles K, Schlenk N, Manko C, Ma M, Farhadian B, Chang K, Silverman M, Thienemann M, Frankovich J, Frankovich J. Defining Clinical Course of Patients Evaluated for Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome: Phenotypic Classification Based on 10 Years of Clinical Data. Dev Neurosci. 2025;47(4):270-286. doi: 10.1159/000545598. Epub 2025 Apr 4. PMID: 40188825.
- 10-year Stanford IBH study standardizes how PANS patient status and flares are defined, including flare vs recovery, acuity of onset, duration, and trajectory.
- 74% of patients meeting PANS criteria had a relapsing–remitting course rather than continuous illness.
- 43% experienced a persistent clinical course (>12 months of impairment), yet 77% ultimately recovered.
- 57% never developed persistent symptoms and typically had 1–3 flares per year, each lasting about 3 months.
- Findings reinforce PANS as a heterogeneous, episodic condition where persistence does not rule out recovery.
Gabriella True
