Clinical features of paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome : findings from a case-control study

• BACKGROUND: Paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS), an umbrella term that includes PANDAS (paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections) is suggested to be a psychiatric disorder of autoimmune aetiology. PANS is characterised by an acute onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder or restricted eating with multiple comorbid symptoms. The specificity of the PANS criteria is not fully understood.AimsTo describe a cohort of patients with PANS and to determine if PANS features relating to symptoms, onset and course are more common in PANS than in other psychiatric conditions.METHOD: A case-control study comparing patients with interview-confirmed PANS with patients with suspected PANS and patients with a psychiatric condition but with no suspicion of PANS. Validated and non-validated measures of symptoms, onset and episodic course were used.RESULTS: Illness in patients with interview-confirmed PANS featured an episodic course and multiple symptoms present at onset compared with the psychiatric controls. However, individuals with interview-confirmed PANS did not present a specific symptom profile.CONCLUSIONS: PANS may be a distinct clinical entity featuring an acute onset, an episodic course and multiple symptoms at onset.Declaration of interestNone.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Psykiatri (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Psychiatry (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome

diagnostic criteria

obsessive-compulsive disorder

pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)