PANS and PANDAS
Paediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS) are health conditions that affect some children following an infection.
Some children develop a range of behavioural, emotional and physical symptoms following an infection. These can include symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder, restricted eating and tics.
Paediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) are diagnoses that have been proposed to explain the sudden development of these symptoms.
These conditions are increasingly recognised by medical bodies, but there is currently no consensus about the definition of these conditions and the cause of these symptoms in children and no data on the number of children affected in the UK.
Diagnosis and treatment for PANS and PANDASThere is currently no official guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions in the NHS. In November 2024, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) concluded that there was insufficient evidence to develop useful guidance.
Diagnostic criteria and treatment options for PANS and PANDAS have been proposed by researchers and clinicians, but are based on limited evidence and many have called for more research.
In 2022, the PANS PANDAS Steering Group was established. This group includes representatives from healthcare professional bodies and royal colleges, the PANS PANDAS UK charity, and patients and their families. This group is currently developing clinical guidelines for use in the UK.
Increasing awareness and recognition of PANS and PANDASPANS PANDAS UK campaigns for increased awareness and recognition of these conditions. Its mission is to ensure that everyone affected by PANS and PANDAS “receives effective and equitable care”. This group provides the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on PANS and PANDAS.
In Parliament, there have been three early day motions calling on the government to recognise the condition and support work to improve diagnosis and treatment since 2022. In September 2023, there was a Westminster Hall debate on the condition. The current government has acknowledged the lack of research evidence and consensus about how PANS and PANDAS should be diagnosed and treated.