Pallanti S, Di Ponzio M. PANDAS/PANS in the COVID-19 Age: Autoimmunity and Epstein-Barr Virus Reactivation as Trigger Agents? Children (Basel). 2023 Mar 30;10(4):648. doi: 10.3390/children10040648. PMID: 37189896; PMCID: PMC10136983.
- COVID-19 infection and pandemic-related stressors were associated with worsening neuropsychiatric symptoms in children and adolescents with PANS
- Obsessions, tics, anxiety, mood symptoms, and overall wellbeing were most commonly affected
- New symptoms and new-onset PANS cases were reported following SARS-CoV-2 infection
- Case series of five adolescents showed symptom exacerbation after COVID-19 infection
- Authors hypothesize roles for neuroinflammation, immune activation, viral reactivation (e.g., EBV), and social isolation–related inflammatory effects
- PANS is presented as a model for understanding immune-mediated neuropsychiatric post-acute COVID syndromes (PACS)
Gabriella True
