PANS/PANDAS
PANDAS, which is Pediatric auto-immune neuropsychiatric syndrome, has been associated with strep infection. PANS, which is Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. Both are characterized by a sudden onset of odd behaviors, like OCD or motor tics, following a strep infection. Infections can cross the blood-brain barrier which can account for changes in behavior.
For the Diagnosis of PANS/PANDAS Certain Criterion Must be Met:
The diagnosis must include 1 major and 2 minors.
1st Criterion – Major (must have at least one):
- abrupt and dramatic onset of obsessive-compulsive behaviors (OCb)
- and/or restricted food intake.
Please note: most functional providers prefer that children are not labeled OCD. This is under the mental disorder category and is difficult to remove.
2nd Criterion – Minor (must have at least two):
- Anxiety
- Emotional Lability
- Depression
- Irritability
- Aggression
- Somatic Symptoms
- Severe Oppositional Behavior
- Developmental Regression
- Sensory/Motor
Connect the Dots:
An autoimmune storm like PANS and PANDAS drives a child’s behavior back to primal, rudimentary behavior. All the stated minor criterion is an expected response when a brain, especially a child’s brain, has been hijacked. Anxiety is related to a Moro reflex. Emotional lability is the child reverting to a younger state of mind.
Depression, irritability, aggression, and severe oppositional behavior is reverting into their amygdala because of the stress created by this illness. The area that controls all of this is the Hypothalamus. This area is below the Thalamus and is part of the Limbic system.
Developmental regression means reverting… These are not just symptoms, these are the developmental sequences each child is expected to master.
A Dysregulated Immune System:
PANS/PANDAS are a result of immune dysregulation. The secondary impact is on the brain. A direct attack to the brain can result from molecular mimicry. It is one of the leading mechanisms by which infectious or chemical agents may induce autoimmunity – the self attacking the self. It is a case of mistaken identity made by the immune system. Your immune system takes aim at the wrong target. If the target organism is your brain, then your immune system will attack your brain.
The indirect pathway is runaway inflammation. Since most of the immune response is in the gut, anything impacting the gut will play havoc on the immune system.
While the baby develops its intestines in the womb, development continues after they are born. In fact, your baby’s gut will mature around age 2 years of age and their immune system will mature around 3 years of age. The blueprint will draw a picture of the potential triggers surrounding auto-immune risks. What is in your child’s blueprint:
- Strep A &/or B
- Viruses EBV, Influenzas, gut viruses, Coxsackievirus
- Mycoplasma pneumonia
- Lyme or other tick-borne infections
The CMB Difference:
At CMB, we have a 3-tier approach to evaluate your child’s unique developmental story.
- Brain – A comprehensive approach through QEEG will identify how your child’s brain is wired from the bottom up;
- Chemistry – Evaluate your child’s internal biology through functional labs;
- Mechanical – A thorough assessment of your child’s developmental milestone acquisition.
Here at CMB we educate the parents how important it is to look at specific functional labs that may be causing your child’s development to be hijacked. We meet with parents to review the recommended treatment plan based on their child’s assessment. In specific circumstances, this developmental assessment will help us to determine how to integrate into the child’s existing plan. We often see that there is a team of doctors on board and we can fit into your child’s existing plan, while adding the components that CMB specializes in. We want to ensure that all aspects of the child’s treatment plan are working cohesively to ensure a positive outcome. This is part of our 3-tier approach.
We have many families that have been on an incredible journey that has been going on for years. We have a non-invasive program to help reconnect the body to the brain. A brain map can help us see where the brain is dysregulated as a result of chronic infection, inflammation, and dysregulation that connects many movement and emotional pieces. Adding neurofeedback, and developmental re-education can be the missing element that will support resolution.
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