Pediatric Neuropsychiatry and Immunology Program (PNIP)
Pediatric Neuropsychiatry and Immunology Program
Yawkey Outpatient Center, Suite 6A
55 Fruit Street
Boston,
MA
02114
Explore This Program
What Is PANDAS?
PANDAS, or P.A.N.D.A.S., is short for Pediatric AutoImmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. Children with PANDAS experience a sudden onset or worsening of tics and/or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). While many children may experience strep throat, OCD, or tics, PANDAS is diagnosed when there is a close relationship found between the onset/severity of these symptoms and a streptococcal infection.Clinical Approach
Vision
To improve understanding of the etiology and most effective treatments of pediatric neuropsychiatric immune conditions through our integrated clinic and research program.
Mission Statement
To provide high quality, comprehensive and wholistic care of children with suspected pediatric neuropsychiatric immune conditions.
How to Request a Consultation
To request an consultation, please call 617-724-0198.
What Is Involved with a Consultation?
For the health and safety of our patients and staff, appointments are currently taking place via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meet the Team
Dr. Williams is the Director of the Pediatric Neuropsychiatry and Immunology Program in the OCD and Related Disorders Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Williams received his M.D. from the University of Minnesota Medical School, and completed training in Adult and Child Psychiatry at the Yale Child Study Center as part of the Solnit Integrated Program in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Dr. O’Dor is the Director of Research at the PNIP and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. She attended Boston College for her undergraduate studies and received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. She completed her clinical internship and two-year postdoctoral fellowship at MGH/Harvard Medical School specializing in child and adolescent psychotherapy and neuropsychological assessment.
Dr. Pasternack is the unit chief of Pediatric Infectious Disease at Mass General for Children.
PNIP Research Program
We provide opportunities for both children and adolescents with and without PANDAS to participate in research.
Learn about the PNIP Research Program
Resources for Parents
PNIP Quick Guides for Caregivers
Other Resources
The PANDAS Network is an organization that works to better the diagnosis and treatment of PANDAS and PANS. Their website has resources about what PANDAS is including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. They also have many patient stories.
The PPN has a directory of clinicians who are familiar with PANDAS. There are also many resources about how to support a child with PANDAS in school.
The goal of ASPIRE is to help children get diagnosed and be treated sooner after PANDAS symptoms start. The website has many resources about what PANS and PANDAS are and how to find treatment.
The IOCDF supports people with OCD including children with PANDAS and their families.
The Neuroimmune Foundation has lots of information on what PANS and PANDAS are including an FAQ. There are also patient stories and webinars with PANS/PANDAS specialists.
The Child Mind Institute guide has information about the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options for PANS and PANDAS. There is also information about some of the challenges patients and caregivers face in trying to get a diagnosis.
The IPR is a data repository whose goal is to help researchers access patient data more easily. This improves research so that we can understand what PANS is and how to best treat it. Caregivers of children with PANDAS can join the database through a survey.
NEPANS is a parent-run organization that seeks to raise awareness of PANS and PANDAS. They also run support groups for caregivers of children with PANS/PANDAS.
Resources for Physicians
Diagnosing and Treating Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated With Streptococcal Infections
Have you ever wondered what the acronym PANDAS stands for? Have you ever considered how an infectious disease might lead to neuropsychiatric symptoms? Have you been unsure about how best to evaluate and treat someone with sudden-onset obsessions and compulsions? If so, the following case vignette and discussion will review these concepts and provide an overview of the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).
Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP)
“The goal of MCPAP is to improve access to treatment for children with behavioral health needs and their families by making child psychiatry services accessible to primary care providers across Massachusetts. MCPAP provides quick access to psychiatric consultation and facilitates referrals for accessing ongoing behavioral health care.”
PANDAS Physicians Network
“The PPN (PANDAS Physicians Network) mission is to maintain the industry standard PPN Guidelines for Diagnostics and Therapeutics, foster continuous education and communication within the multi-disciplinary medical community and to sponsor research for developing diagnostic tests, treatment protocols and a cure for PANDAS/PANS within this generation.”
PANS/PANDAS Research Consortium
The PANS/PANDAS Research Consortium is a group of clinicians and researchers with significant experience and interest in PANS/PANDAS. The PANS/PANDAS Research Consortium published four papers in JCAP, one is a consensus statement which proposes the diagnostic criteria of PANS, the other three are treatment articles which describe the best practices across the United States.
Other resources
- National Institute of Mental Health: PANDAS—Questions and Answers