June 30, 2020
by Patricia Tomasi
Some children develop obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms quite suddenly, often after an infectious illness such as Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS). It has been hypothesized that these symptoms derive from antibodies that cross-react with cells in the brain, causing local brain inflammation and impairing brain circuit function. However, this has been somewhat controversial, in large part because these antibodies have proven difficult to identify. A new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry by a team of Yale scientists examined this phenomenon.
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Investigation into PANDAS has led to a newer line of thought regarding rapid-onset OCD symptoms (Mittelman, 2012). A broader category called PANS, Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, is being investigated. This broader diagnosis has been suggested due to diagnostic difficulties with PANDAS.
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