When a child changes overnight, it's not behavioral. It's biological, and it has a root cause.
PANS, Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, is characterized by the sudden, dramatic onset of OCD behaviors, severe anxiety, cognitive difficulties, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in children, appearing seemingly overnight. The defining feature of PANS is this abrupt onset. A child can go from fully functioning to severely impaired within 24-72 hours. PANS can be triggered by a range of infectious and environmental factors including mold exposure, Lyme disease, EBV, Mycoplasma, and others.
Because PANS can be caused by multiple different triggers, comprehensive root cause investigation is essential to identify what set off the neuroinflammatory cascade and guide appropriate protocols. Dr. Jaban and his team have extensive experience working with PANS families and offer thorough, compassionate, root-cause-focused support.
Has your child transitioned from excelling academically and thriving in sports, being independent and fully functional, to experiencing the sudden onset of OCD, separation anxiety, behavioral regression, and verbal or motor tics, rendering them seemingly dysfunctional overnight? This shift might be attributed to toxic and/or infectious triggers, precipitating neuropsychiatric changes in your child.
PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is characterized by this abrupt onset. A child can go from fully functioning to severely impaired within 24-72 hours. PANS can be triggered by a range of infectious and environmental factors including mold exposure, Lyme disease, Epstein-Barr Virus, Mycoplasma, and others.
PANS is frequently missed or misidentified as a primary psychiatric condition because the biological origins of the sudden-onset symptoms are not recognized. When a child's OCD, anxiety, or behavioral regression appears suddenly, conventional practitioners may attribute it to psychological stress, developmental issues, or a primary psychiatric disorder, rather than investigating the infectious or environmental trigger that caused the neurological change.
If you suspect that your child is experiencing PANS, thorough testing is available. Anti-strep antibody testing can examine the presence of an immune response against streptococci through throat or nasopharyngeal swab cultures, Antistreptolysin O (ASO) antibody testing, and Anti-DNase B strep antibody blood tests. If strep testing is negative, alternative causes such as EBV, Mycoplasma, and mold exposure should be explored.
The Cunningham Panel is a blood test designed to detect specific antibodies associated with neuroinflammation, contributing to distinguishing whether conditions such as OCD, seizures, behavioral regression, or tics are a result of an autoimmune response to infections affecting brain function. The Neural Zoomer Plus Test by Vibrant Wellness evaluates reactivity to 48 neurological antigens linked to various neurological diseases. At The Redefining Wellness Center, working with a practitioner is highly urged for any child navigating PANS or PANDAS.