October 9 is PANS Awareness Day. Please take a few minutes to learn the signs and symptoms of this syndrome, many of which could be diagnosed in isolation or mistaken for another medical or behavioral problem. In our son’s case, it was an onslaught of nearly all of the below symptoms three to four weeks following a serious upper respiratory illness. (Click here for The Short Story of Isaac’s PANS diagnosis.)

PANS Diagnostic criteria: 

In July of 2010, experts convened at the National Institutes of Health and developed criteria for pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS). Current diagnostic criteria is as follows:

1. Abrupt, acute onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder or severely restricted food intake

2. Concurrent presence of additional behavioral or neurological symptoms with similarly acute onset and severity from at least 2 of the following categories:

• Anxiety, Separation Anxiety
• Emotional Lability and/or Depression
• Irritability, Aggression, and/or Severe Oppositional Behaviors
• Behavioral (Developmental) Regression
• Sudden Deterioration in School Performance
• Motor or Sensory Abnormalities
• Somatic Signs and Symptoms, including Sleep Disturbances, Enuresis, or Urinary Frequency

3. Symptoms are not better explained by a known neurologic or medical disorder

4.  Age requirement – None

Source: https://aspire.care/symptoms-diagnosis/diagnosing/

PANS is a clinical diagnosis, meaning there is no single test that can rule it in or out. It is essential to find a doctor who is versed in PANS/PANDAS in order to get a proper diagnosis. 

Children with developmental disorders or pre-existing diagnoses (like our son, Isaac) can be far more challenging to diagnose, as many of the symptoms above are assumed to be part of their disorder and may not present as “sudden onset.” But PANS is treatable, which means many of these symptoms can improve and even resolve entirely with medical intervention. We owe it to these kids and their families to get that message out.

If you suspect your child or someone you know has PANS, or if you want to learn more, visit Gray Colored Glasses resources page.