Criteria for a PANS Diagnosis
All children with the disorder have acute onset of OCD symptoms or eating restrictions. But they also have a debilitating and baffling set of other neurological symptoms with similarly sudden onset. To be diagnosed with PANS they must have two of the following seven criteria:
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Separation anxiety, panic, other forms of anxiety
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Behavioral regression: Kids suddenly acting much younger than they should for their age, such as reverting to baby talk.
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Emotional lability: These children can be severely depressed, even suicidal
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Irritability, aggression, and /or severely oppositional behaviors
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Deterioration in school performance: Sudden decline in math and reading competence, memory and concentration; increase in hyperactivity
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Motor or sensory abnormalities: Their handwriting and drawing deteriorates dramatically (also linked to regression), and they may be distressed by noise or light
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Somatic symptoms: These include sleep disturbances, betwetting and other changes in urinary frequency or intensity
PANS and PANDAS are severe forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that appear suddenly (acute onset) in young children and teenagers accompanied by other confusing and distressing symptoms
While this syndrome has been recognized for decades, the link between the symptoms and an infection has been the subject of intense controversy, with some researchers and clinicians claiming insufficient evidence, and denying children treatment to fight the sometimes elusive infection.
But the medical community has coalesced around a clearer description of the symptoms, their causes, and how they should be treated. This should make it easier for parents to get care for severely affected children.
Dr. Swedo, who heads the pediatrics and developmental neuroscience branch
of the National Institutes of Mental Health, first identified PANDAS in 1998, and has been in the vanguard of research and advocacy ever since. The larger category, PANS, was added in 2010 to account for cases that could not be linked definitively to strep infections.
There is now broad acceptance that PANDAS is, like rheumatic fever, a misdirected immune response to the strep bacteria, which mimics human heart or brain tissue. The immune system attacks the heart (in the case of rheumatic faver) or brain (in the case of PANDAS), causing this array of mental health symptoms.
PANS
&
PANDAS
Is NOT a Condition but a Consequence
Our solutions in this field are based on practical experience, working a large number of children. In many cases they have a particular modification of certain genes. The early use of antibiotics drives an infection deeper into the vascular system. Co-infections and co-morbidities compound the issue as the child develops into tween years. Neurochemical and neurological imbalances become the resultant consequence.
Management of flare-ups is crucial:
We offer a complete system of comprehensive testing, nutritional support, homeopathic remedies, naturopathic inflammatory reduction plus vital emotional support for the client and entire family.
How We Help:
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