PANS/PANDAS
Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS): first described in 2012
Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS): a subtype of PANS, and first described in 1998
Embedded Files
Overview of treatment guidelines development, diagnostic information and the 3-pronged approach to treatment
Selected books and peer-reviewed journal articles.
Updates: Ongoing.
Updates: Ongoing.
Specialists from a variety of fields speaking about PANS / PANDAS.
Updates: Ongoing.
Updates: Ongoing.
Youtube videos, Webinars and Documentaries about PANS / PANDAS from specialists and families.
Updates: Ongoing.
Updates: Ongoing.
Information, resources and advocacy. Facebook groups and websites.
Updates: Ongoing.
Updates: Ongoing.
Clinical observations and what I've learned from working with my clients.
Updates: Ongoing.
Updates: Ongoing.
NEW: 'Proof of concept' article
NEW: 'Proof of concept' article
Han, V.X., Alshammery, S., Keating, B.A., et al. (2025). Epigenetic, ribosomal, and immune dysregulation in paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-025-03127-5
My full Claude ai summary found here. Selected text from my Claude ai summary - Why This Matters:
For Medical Legitimacy. This study provides the first molecular evidence that PANS has:
Reproducible biological signatures across different patients
Measurable immune dysfunction detectable through genetic analysis
Treatment-responsive pathways that change with immunotherapy
For Understanding the Condition. The research suggests PANS is:
Part of the neurodevelopmental disorder spectrum, not a separate autoimmune disease
A distinct clinical entity with infection/stress triggers and acute onset, showing greater severity than other neurodevelopmental disorders
Involving epigenetic changes (how genes are turned on/off) rather than DNA mutations, and driven by complex gene-environment interactions.
Above images contain information from: Swedo, Leckman & Rose (2012) From Research Subgroup to Clinical Syndrome: Modifying the PANDAS Criteria to Describe PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome).
Research suggests children with genetic vulnerabilities experience infections or stress that trigger epigenetic changes, disrupting immune function and protein production. Rather than classic autoimmune disease, this creates immune dysregulation - both reduced responses to pathogens and inflammatory dysfunction - affecting brain development and basal ganglia functioning. PANS represents a distinct condition within the neurodevelopmental spectrum, with all infection/stress triggers increasing inflammation and causing acute psychiatric symptoms within hours to days. Medical treatment targeting immune modulation is essential: see the Treatment Guidelines.
Immune response = inflamed brain and personality change
Rating/Recording PANS symptoms
Rating/Recording PANS symptoms
ASPIRE Collection of measures for diagnosis and tracking.
PANS Rating Scale by Dr Tanya Murphy and Dr Gail Bernstein. Direct link to PDF.
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