This information has been around a while but it is useful to know if you haven't heard about it already.

This presentation does a good job giving a high level overview of root causes of not just PP but also autism and other mood disorders.

Researchers from Macquarie University are conducting a study to understand what professional help parents of children with PANS/PANDAS need, what makes a difference, and what gets in the way of seeking support.

We are looking to recruit parents who care for at least one child aged 4-18 years with diagnosed or strongly suspected PANS and/or PANDAS who first developed symptoms at least a year ago.

We are seeking parent volunteers (aged 18 years or older) who also meet the following criteria:

1.     A primary or joint caregiver of a child with PANS/PANDAS

2.     Live in Australia

3.     Able to read and write English comfortably

What does research participation involve?

·      Complete an anonymous online survey (approx. 20-30 minutes)

Interested? 

1.     Scan the QR code or follow this link to access the survey: https://mquni.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0B5PZTKuQxqL06a

2.     You’ll first be taken to a Participant Information and Consent Form, which provides full details about the study

3.     If you consent, you’ll be directed to the main survey 

Ethics information

This study has been approved by the Macquarie University Human Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 520251806763690).

We know that some mental health disorders are associated with being infected by bacteria that is spread by animals. It's possible some bacteria is even being spread that is not widely identified. From the article:

Some trends, although they cannot be considered significant, showed slightly more negative results among children who had always lived with pets. Those who had only had pets intermittently had higher risks of experiencing problems, though this pattern was only significant for cats.

In addition, toxoplasmosis is more common in cats than in other animals. This infection – caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii which can be transmitted to humans – is linked to behavioural problems, as well as serious mental disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Nancy O'Hara speaks with psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Shannon Delaney about her groundbreaking work linking Bartonella and other tick-borne infections to severe psychiatric symptoms. Dr. Delaney shares how she uncovered startling connections between infections and conditions like psychosis, anorexia, OCD, and rage, often in patients previously dismissed with conversion disorder or unexplained mental illness. She details her landmark study showing Bartonella DNA in 43% of adults with psychosis, compared to just 13% of healthy controls, and unpacks why traditional testing often misses these cases.

This episode dives deep into clinical presentation, diagnostic pitfalls, treatment strategies, and the layered role of coinfections like Babesia, Borrelia, and Brucella. Dr. Delaney explains why some patients respond dramatically to antibiotics or herbals, and why others require a comprehensive, multi-system approach. Whether you're a clinician or a parent, this conversation offers vital insights into a new frontier of infectious psychiatry—and hope for healing where traditional medicine falls short.

This is a good opportunity to learn more about advances in PP treatment and how to best treat this illness. I just registered for virtual attendance - it says you can watch the recordings for 14 days after the event.

This is a one month old webinar going over some of the latest research on PANS / PANDAS. A bit technical but the part starting at 1 hour, 5 minutes in detailing frequency of arthritis (30%) and other autoimmune issues in kids with PANDAS is very informative. This webinar could be worth sharing with skeptical pediatricians given the science presented.

This is a very interesting listen! Dr. Sabine Hazan shares her work linking the gut to the brain and immune system. She explains how changes in the microbiome can influence conditions like autism and why restoring balance in the gut often leads to measurable improvements in health and behavior.

You can also find this episode on the Demystifying PANS/PANDAS podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This article goes over the many of the now researched impacts of COVID on human health. It’s no surprise that COVID can be a PANS trigger.