RESEARCH SUMMARIES
Explore a curated collection of research summaries and key findings on the most impactful PANS and PANDAS. Each summary links to peer-reviewed studies, clinical guidelines, or case series relevant to neuroimmune and neuropsychiatric conditions. These resources support physicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals seeking to better understand these conditions and their diagnostic and treatment approaches.
To view in depth lists of studies and articles related to PANS/PANDAS, visit the PPN Research Library at https://www.pandasppn.org/research-library.
2025
Title: Special recoveries from major mental illness in childhood: a case series (2025)
Summary: This 2025 case series highlights the full recovery of three children experiencing symptoms of mental illness through treatment targeting infection, inflammation, and immune-related causes, including tick-borne diseases. Continue reading
Title: Sudden Onset Disordered Eating Behaviors and Appetite Issues in a Local Clinical Cohort of Children With Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) (2025)
Summary: This 2025 study underscores that sudden-onset disordered eating is a prominent and under-recognized cardinal symptom of PANS, often mimicking Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) but with distinct clinical triggers and trajectory. Continue reading
Title: New-onset OCD and juvenile enthesitis related arthritis after COVID-19 (2025)
Summary: This 2025 case series links COVID-19 to new-onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and juvenile enthesitis-related arthritis, suggesting immune dysregulation and inflammation as shared mechanisms behind autoimmune, psychiatric, and rheumatologic symptoms. Continue reading
Title: Defining clinical course of patients evaluated for pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS): phenotypic classification based on 10 years of clinical data (2025)
Summary: This 2025 research report discusses Stanford’s 10‑year PANS phenotypic classification study that defines key clinical trajectories—single flare, relapsing‑remitting, and persistent subtypes—establishing standardized terminology to enhance diagnosis, treatment planning, and research coherence in Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).Continue reading
Title: Neurological Soft Signs at Presentation in Patients With Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (2025)
Summary: This 2025 study finds that nearly 80% of children with PANS show neurological soft signs—such as overflow movements, chorea, tongue and grip abnormalities—reflecting basal ganglia dysfunction that correlates with disease severity and can guide more precise diagnosis in pediatric neuroimmune disorders.Continue reading
Title: Eight cases of Pediatric Acute Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Immunologic Intersections (2025)
Summary: This 2025 case series reveals a strong clinical and immunological overlap between PANS and IBD, suggesting that treating gut inflammation may help improve neuropsychiatric symptoms in affected patients.Continue reading
Title: Parent perceptions of various treatment approaches for PANS and PANDAS (2025)
Summary: This 2025 study highlights how parent perceptions significantly shape treatment selection and adherence for children with PANS and PANDAS.Continue reading
Title: IL-17 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of pediatric patients with acute neuropsychiatric disorders: Implications for PANDAS and PANS (2025)
Summary: The 2025 study finds elevated IL-17 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of children with PANS and PANDAS, supporting Th17-mediated neuroinflammation as a biomarker and potential therapeutic target in pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders.Continue reading
2024
Title: Developmental Impacts of PANS/PANDAS and Inadequate Support for Children and Families (2024)
Summary: This 2024 report reveals that children with PANS and PANDAS face significant developmental impacts due to delayed diagnosis, treatment barriers, and lack of support, emphasizing the need for physician education and structured school and community interventions.Continue reading
Title: Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS): Immunological Features Underpinning Controversial Entities (2024)
Summary: The 2024 review article examines the immunological mechanisms underlying PANS and PANDAS emphasizing the role of autoantibodies, cytokine activity, and basal ganglia dysfunction in disease pathology. Continue reading
Title: Reliability and validity of a newly developed PANDAS/PANS questionnaire (2024)
Summary: This 2024 research report introduces a validated, parent-report questionnaire for PANS and PANDAS that shows strong reliability in assessing symptom severity and comorbidities. Continue reading
Title: IVIG response in PANS correlates with reduction in pro-inflammatory monocytes and neuropsychiatric measures (2024)
Summary: This 2024 paper provides evidence that treating children diagnosed with PANS with IVIG therapy reduces pro-inflammatory monocytes and improves neuropsychiatric symptoms. Continue reading
Title: Immunological Characterization of an Italian PANDAS Cohort (2024)
Summary: This 2024 study on PANDAS reveals persistent systemic inflammation marked by elevated TNF-α and IL-17, suggesting that inflammation—not just recurrent infections—drives symptoms, and recommends combined ASO, anti-DNase B, and throat cultures for improved diagnosis of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders.Continue reading
Title: Narcolepsy and pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome: A case report that suggests a putative link between the two disorders (2024)
Summary: This 2024 case report supports the theory of shared immunological underpinnings between PANS and Narcolepsy Type 1 and highlights the importance of considering overlapping diagnoses in children with complex neuropsychiatric presentations as well as emphasize the need for personalized treatment. Continue reading
2023
Title: Arthritis in Children with Psychiatric Deteriorations: A Case Series (2023)
Summary: Summary pending. Continue reading
Title: Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment improves multiple neuropsychiatric outcomes in patients with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (2023)
Summary: This 2023 study demonstrates Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment significantly improved multiple neuropsychiatric outcomes in children diagnosed with PANS, highlighting its potential as a treatment for the condition. The findings reinforce the role of immune dysfunction in PANS pathophysiology.Continue reading
Title: Distinct Th17 effector cytokines differentially promote microglial and blood-brain barrier inflammatory responses during post-infectious encephalitis (2023)
Summary: This 2023 study shows that IL-17A plays a key role in damaging the blood-brain barrier and triggering brain inflammation after strep infections in mice, leading to post-infectious encephalitis. Similar immune signals were found in children with PANDAS/PANS, suggesting that IL-17A blockade is a promising treatment avenue for patients who do not respond to standard care.
2022
Title: Children With PANS May Manifest POTS (2022)
Summary: This 2022 study highlights a significant overlap between Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) in pediatric patients, suggesting that autonomic dysfunction may contribute to the severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms.Continue reading
Title: Therapeutic plasma exchange in adolescent and adult patients with autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (2022)
Summary: This 2022 study demonstrates that therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) may be a safe and effective treatment for adolescent and adult patients diagnosed with PANDAS or PANS.Continue reading
Title: Prevalence of pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome PANS in children and adolescents with eating disorders (2022)
Summary: This 2022 study highlights a significantly higher prevalence of PANS in children and adolescents with eating disorders compared to previously studied OCD and tic disorder populations. Continue reading
Title: A Survey of Demographics, Symptom Course, Family History, and Barriers to Treatment in Children with PANS and PANDAS(2022)
Summary: This 2022 study reveals there is a dire need to support caregivers as they often experience burnout due to stress, cost associated with treatment, difficulty finding care for their child, and the overall toll on the family. Continue reading
Title: SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 associated pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome a case report of female twin adolescents (2022)
Summary: This 2022 case report underscores that PANS is often post-infectious and may be triggered by SARS-CoV-2 via immune mechanisms. COVID-19 may act as a neuropsychiatric trigger, even in asymptomatic children, especially when symptoms mimic eating disorders or anxiety.Continue reading
2021
Title: Cognitive, Graphomotor, and Psychosocial Challenges in Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated With Streptococcal Infections (2021)
Summary: This 2021 study highlights the often overlooked cognitive, motor, and emotional struggles faced by children with PANDAS and the broader diagnosis of PANS, particularly emphasizing graphomotor impairments that disrupt academic and social functioning. Continue reading
Title: Evaluation of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in PANS (2021)
Summary: This 2021 study showed that IVIG therapy significantly reduced neuropsychiatric symptoms in PANS patients, with sustained benefits in many cases, confirming immune system involvement in the disorder. Findings support the autoimmune basis of PANS, highlighting IVIG as a promising long-term immunomodulatory treatment.Continue reading
Title: Metabolomic Characterization of Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (2021)
Summary: This 2021 study identifies a distinct biochemical signature linked to neuroinflammatory and neurotransmitter pathways. The findings advance our understanding of PANS pathophysiology and show that metabolomics could be a valuable approach for finding biomarkers and developing more targeted treatments for these patients. Continue reading
Title: Patients with abrupt early-onset OCD due to PANS tolerate lower doses of antidepressants and antipsychotics (2021)
Summary: This 2021 study highlights the importance of tailoring pharmacologic interventions for children with PANS, as standard psychotropic dosing can lead to significant adverse effects in these patients. Continue reading
2020
Title: Association of Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome With Microstructural Differences in Brain Regions Detected via Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2020)
Summary: This 2020 study links PANS to widespread brain abnormalities, especially in areas that control behavior and emotions. Diffusion-weighted MRI revealed signs of neuroinflammation, suggesting it may serve as a useful tool for diagnosing PANS and understanding how it affects the brain. Continue reading
Title: Antibodies From Children With PANDAS Bind Specifically to Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons and Alter Their Activity (2020)
Summary: This 2020 study shows that children with PANDAS produce antibodies that target specific brain cells involved in controlling behavior. These findings advance the understanding of autoimmune contributions to abrupt-onset pediatric OCD and support immunotherapy as part of the treatment plan.Continue reading
2019
Title: Bidirectional relationship between eating disorders and autoimmune diseases (2019)
Summary: This 2019 study reveals a significant, reciprocal association between eating disorders and autoimmune diseases, suggesting that individuals with one condition are at increased risk for developing the other.Continue reading
2018
Title: Differential binding of antibodies in PANDAS patients to cholinergic interneurons in the striatum (2018)
Summary: This 2018 study provides the first direct evidence that antibodies in PANDAS patients specifically bind to cholinergic interneurons in the brain’s striatum, suggesting a plausible cellular mechanism for the abrupt neuropsychiatric symptoms observed. The findings support PANDAS as an autoimmune condition and points to possible future therapeutic interventions.Continue reading
Title: Altered Cerebral Glucose Metabolism Normalized in a Patient with a PANDAS-like Condition Following Treatment with Plasmapheresis (2018)
Summary: This 2018 study concludes that FDG PET/CT seems to be a valuable diagnostic approach to prove cerebral metabolic alterations in PANDAS. Future cohort studies should assess the sensitivity of FDG PET/CT in diagnosed PANDAS patients and investigate the association of metabolic abnormalities with severity of clinical symptoms.Continue reading