What does PANDAS mean in Physiology?
This page is about the meanings of the acronym/abbreviation/shorthand PANDAS in the Medical field in general and in the Physiology terminology in particular.
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What does PANDAS mean?
- PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections, a rare disease that usually appears in children. This term describes a hypothesis that there exists a subset of children with rapid onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or tic disorders and these symptoms are caused by group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infections. The proposed link between infection and these disorders is that an initial autoimmune reaction to a GABHS infection produces antibodies that continues to interfere with basal ganglia function, causing symptom exacerbations. The PANDAS hypothesis was based on observations in clinical case studies at the US National Institute of Health and in subsequent clinical trials where children appeared to have dramatic and sudden OCD exacerbations and tic disorders following infections. There is supportive evidence for the link between streptococcus infection and onset in some cases of OCD and tics, but proof of causality has remained elusive. The PANDAS hypothesis is controversial; whether it is a distinct entity differing from other cases of Tourette syndrome /OCD is debated.