In addition to the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or tics required for a diagnosis of PANDAS, other symptoms some may experience include hyperactivity, separation anxiety, onset of bedwetting and daytime urinary frequency, difficulty sleeping, moodiness, joint pain, and a deterioration in handwriting quality or school performance.
The current diagnosis of PANDAS as defined by the National Institute of Mental Health is:
* Episodic means that the symptoms come on suddenly, then gradually disappear, followed by a symptom-free period; then they appear suddenly again, as a reaction to another strep infection or exposure.
** This refers to hyperactivity or unexpected, typically jerky, movements.
PANS: Symptoms and diagnostic criteria for PANS have been proposed. Please see here for an explanation of PANS symptoms.
Since there are currently no conclusive laboratory tests for PANDAS and PANS, the diagnosis is a clinical one and open to interpretation.
For more information see our e-book Your Child Has Changed. Should you Consider PANDAS? Let’s Talk
Related articles are shown below. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can search using the box at the upper right of the page or browse our forums. We host the largest international forum on PANS/PANDAS and related conditions.
Dr. Susan Swedo presented a history of PANS ( Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) in the video below. Her talk was recorded October 1, 2015 at […]
Pediatric Acute Neuropsychiatric Symptom Scale ~ Parent Version If you have a child with PANS or PANDAS, have you wondered where your child’s symptoms fall on a scale of intensity compared to others? Is the […]
Dealing with a condition like PANDAS (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) is stressful enough for a parent, without having to decipher the technical terms involved in laboratory testing. One term that comes […]
Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Strep This article is adapted with permission from the Children’s and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety. Founded and directed by Tamar Chansky, PhD, a leading expert on anxiety and OCD, the […]
An advisory board member, Dr. Robbins answered this question received from a reader: “My son is almost 8 years old. He had a terrible fever and flu-like symptoms for a week and a half with […]
The National Institute of Mental Health describes current criteria for recognizing and diagnosing PANS (pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome) with the following explanation. Because it is often difficult to demonstrate the relationship between strep infections and OCD/tic symptoms […]