Motor abnormalities among children with PANS and/or PANDAS Erika Unsbo 10.6084/m9.figshare.4584034.v2 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Motoriska_avvikelser_hos_barn_med_PANS_och_eller_PANDAS/4584034 <p><i>Introduction: </i>Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) are putative diagnoses with symptoms including tics and obsessive compulsive disorder. These disorders are believed to be caused by antibodies against the basal ganglia. Some reports show that these patients have affected motor control. This may be explained by the hypothesis that antibodies against the basal ganglia cause the disorders. <i>Aims: </i>This study aimed to compare the presence of motor abnormalities among patients with PANS and/or PANDAS and age- and sex-matched healthy persons. <i>Material and Methods: </i>17 persons aged 8-19 years that had been diagnosed with PANS and/or PANDAS in Sweden were included in the study. 25 controls were matched with the patients regarded age and sex. Both groups were then examined with 6 tests of motor function. The tests were scored and groups were compared using linear regression. The total score for the test was 0-22 where 0 points indicated a test performed without any impairments and 22 points was a test performed with large difficulty. <i>Results: </i>The mean score for the patients was 8.2 points and the mean score for the controls was 4.5 points, indicating a higher presence of motor abnormalities among patients with PANS and/or PANDAS. The effect adjusted for age was 3.7 points lower for the controls compared to the patients, p = 0.0004. <i>Conclusions: </i>Our results suggest that patients with PANS and/or PANDAS have more motor abnormalities compared to age and sex matched controls.</p> 2017-01-28 09:50:40 Motor abnormalities PANS PANDAS Psychiatry (incl. Psychotherapy)