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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 10, 2020 09:14 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Judith L. Schwank |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Recognizing October 9. 2020 as PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day in Pennsylvania |
| In the near future I will be introducing a resolution designating October 9, 2020 as “PANS/PANDAS Awareness Day” in Pennsylvania. PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections) are infection-induced autoimmune conditions that disrupt a child's normal neurologic functioning and result in a sudden and dramatic onset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and/or motor tics. These often are accompanied by personality and behavioral changes and symptoms such as anorexia, anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, sleep disturbances, mood swings and urinary problems. PANDAS is mainly a subcategory of PANS specifically tied to a streptococcal infection. PANS and PANDAS, which are believed to affect one in every 200 children, are infection induced autoimmune conditions that disrupt the normal neurologic functioning of the brain. Children with PANS and PANDAS tend to manifest symptoms such as tics or other abnormal movements, severe separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, irritability, aggression, personality changes, ADHD, marked deterioration in learning and school performance, extreme oversensitivity of the five senses, sleep disturbances, and developmental regression, including deterioration in handwriting. The science on these conditions is still emerging, and states around the country increasingly are recognizing and responding to the risk and strain these conditions impose on affected children and their families, through such steps as mandating coverage for treatment under health insurance policies, public information outreach and increased research and treatment guidelines. For parents, a child developing PANDAS can be as upsetting as it is costly because of the current general lack of awareness among medical professionals and the public. Children may experience moderate to dramatic improvement with antibiotics, intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, or plasmapheresis. Too often, however, PANS & PANDAS are misdiagnosed as behavioral and are mistakenly treated with psychiatric medications that do not address the root cause of their symptoms. My resolution aims to increase awareness and attention, and to encourage increased research and better understanding into these disorders and their causes and treatment. Please join me in sponsoring this resolution. |