what is pans pandas

PANS and PANDAS are two related medical conditions that affect children. PANS, or Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, is characterized by the sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, eating restrictions, and acute behavioral deterioration in at least two designated domains. It does not require a known trigger, although it is believed to be triggered by one or more pathogens. On the other hand, PANDAS, or Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections, is a subset of PANS that is specifically linked to a strep infection. It has 5 distinct criteria for diagnosis, including abrupt onset of OCD or dramatic tics, a relapsing-remitting, episodic symptom course, young age at onset, presence of neurologic abnormalities, and temporal association between symptom onset and Group A strep infection