There is a growing hypothesis that there exist in a small subset of children, a form of rapidly forming obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or tic disorder known as PANDAS.
PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. According to research, these children literally go from “normal” to “abnormal” in the matter of hours. Parents are usually able to pinpoint the exact time and day their child’s behavior changed in the forms of tics (erratic movements or vocalizations), emotional irritability, bed wetting and lose of previous learned motor skills. This is thought to follow exposure to the strep virus (i.e. a strep throat) and appears to be some type of autoimmune reaction.
PANDAS was first proposed during observations and clinical trials by the US National Institute of Health and was verified by further clinical trials, where children, after having been exposed to the streptococcal virus, developed rapid, sudden and dramatic OCD and tic disorder symptoms. There isn’t a 100% cause and effect between streptococcal and PANDAS, or even clear evidence that PANDAS is a separate disorder from Tourettes/OCD, so research is ongoing. Because of this, PANDAS is not yet, or may never be considered a complete disease on it’s on, and there is some discussion that it should be called PANS, an acronym for Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome to further include not just the sudden onset of tics and OCD symptoms following exposure to a previous infection, but the sudden onset in children regardless of a previous infection or not.
What if I Think My Child Has PANDAS and is There a Cure?
Your family doctor or psychiatrist will be able to access and diagnosis whether your child has PANDAS or not. Treatment for PANDAS right now are the same as the treatment for Tourettes and OCD which include cognitive behavioral therapy and medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). As research grows and the PANDAS hypothesis is either further confirmed or denied, other therapies and medication options will become available, but as of right now, there is no cure other than to try to reduce and control the disturbing and undesirable symptoms of PANDAS.
There seems to be a link between previous childhood exposure to infections such as strep throat, to the development of PANDAS, but there isn’t a 100% certain link and you shouldn’t worry too much that exposure to infection in childhood will lead to life long, neuropsychiatric problems. However, there seems to be growing evidence that in some children, this is the case and like with every child, if you notice sudden changes in your child, such as decrease in previous learned motor skills, increased irritability, tics (vocal and/or physical), difficulty sleeping, difficulty eating or any other unusual behaviors, it is very important to have your child seen by a doctor or specialist to not only rule out PANDAS, but also other diseases and pervasive developmental disorders such as Autism, Aspergers and childhood disintergrative disorder.
For more information on PANDAS visit http://intramural.nimh.nih.gov/pdn/web.htm
Licensed Mental Health Counselor 