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Eating Disorders

Prevalence of PANS in Child Prevalence of pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) in children and adolescents with eating disorders Adolescent Eating Disorders
Prevalence of PANS in Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders
Marya Aman, Jennifer Coelho, BoyeeLin, Cynthia Lu, Shannon Zaitsoff, John Best and S. Evelyn StewartBC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia
“Conclusion
  •  The surprisingly high lifetime PANS rate of 52% within pediatric ED were higher than that previously reported for OCD populations. The large majority had abrupt onset of parent- reported OC symptoms as well as abrupt food restriction.
  • Those in the PANS group were more likely to be female, be prescribed an SSRI, and have parent reported abrupt OC symptom onset, abrupt food refusal, relapsing and remitting course, and concurrent anxiety, depression, irritability or aggression, behavioural regression, school deterioration, and sleep problems, enuresis, and/or frequent urination.
  • This appears to be a distinct subgroup that requires further characterization with respect to functional impacts and management approaches.”
PANDAS and anorexia nervosa-a spotters’ guide: Suggestions for medical assessment
Vincenzi B, O’Toole J, Lask B. PANDAS and anorexia nervosa–a spotters’ guide: suggestions for medical assessment. Eur Eat Disord Rev. 2010 Mar;18(2):116-23. doi: 10.1002/erv.977. PMID: 20148396.
Conclusion: Given the current state of knowledge, diagnosingPANDAS is extraordinarily difficult. However, extrapolating from knowledge aboutSydenham’s choreaandPANDAS–OCD and PANDAS–tics/TS, a heightened index of suspicion for the existence of an auto-immune reaction in the brain response to environmental infectious agents culminating in ‘anorexia nervosa’ should be maintained.