2013 Senate Joint Resolution 50
ENROLLED JOINT RESOLUTION
Relating to: proclaiming October 9, 2013, as PANDAS, PITAND, and PANS Awareness Day.
Whereas, PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections) is the sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder, often displayed as severe anxiety and emotional disturbances, plus two or more of the following symptoms: tics or other abnormal movements, severe separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, irritability, emotional lability, aggression, personality changes, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, inability to concentrate, sensory sensitivities, deterioration in learning abilities and school performance, developmental and age regression (including deterioration in handwriting), sleep and nighttime difficulties, or urinary frequency or daytime or nighttime secondary enuresis; and
Whereas, the onset of symptoms corresponds to an infection, usually strep; and
Whereas, PANDAS children may have moderate to dramatic improvement with antibiotics within one week of treatment; however, further intervention may be needed; and
Whereas, how to stop the entire syndrome is still debated, but many parents and doctors report prolonged (two months to one year) antibiotic and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment or plasmapheresis have beneficial effects; and
Whereas, PITAND (Pediatric Infection-Triggered Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders) is similar to PANDAS in terms of presentation; however, it consists of a broader list of possible triggers, not only strep, which may include mycoplasma pneumonia, mononucleosis, Lyme disease, viruses, vaccine injury, and more; and
Whereas, PANS (Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is a new classification introduced in the 2012 research paper "From Research Subgroup to Clinical Syndrome: Modifying the PANDAS Criteria to Describe PANS"; and
Whereas, PANS is broader than PANDAS and PITAND, including not only disorders associated with a preceding infection, but also acute-onset non-infectious triggers, such as environmental and metabolic triggers; and
Whereas, no treatment plan for this syndrome has been defined, but treatment plans similar to those for PANDAS should be attempted; and
Whereas, the three criteria for PANS are: abrupt, dramatic onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder or severely restricted food intake; concurrent presence of additional neuropsychiatric symptoms, with similarly severe and acute onset; and that the symptoms are not better explained by a known neurological or medical disorder; and
Whereas, PANDAS, PITAND, and PANS remain frequently misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, and undertreated due to the lack of awareness of these disorders on the part of the public and even the medical community; and
Whereas, a conservative estimate of the prevalence of PANDAS and PANS cases in the United States alone is 162,000; however, the true prevalence of PANDAS and PANS is not known; and
Whereas, PANDAS and PANS are likely as common as illnesses like pediatric cancer, pediatric diabetes, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and can seriously affect the healthy outcome of a child's life; and
Whereas, approximately 500,000 children have been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder in the United States and roughly 148,000 children have been diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in the United States, and
Whereas, PANDAS Network.org, founded in 2009, is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness of PANDAS onset and course of illness by providing an ongoing database of new PANDAS cases (over 1,000 tracked thus far), parent referrals to support groups and physicians, a conduit for new researchers to navigate collaborations and for new treating physicians to find the latest research, and information that is medically accurate and reviewed by the organization's scientific advisory board; and
Whereas, the Wisconsin PANDAS and PANS parent support group strives to build public awareness of PANDAS, PITAND, and PANS, provide ongoing family support, and gather and disseminate resources to families affected by the disorder; and
Whereas, it is imperative that there be greater public awareness of this serious health issue, and more must be done to increase activity at the local, state, and national levels; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the senate, the assembly concurring, That the legislature proclaims October 9, 2013, as PANDAS, PITAND, and PANS Awareness Day; and, be it further
Resolved, That the senate chief clerk shall provide a copy of this joint resolution to PANDAS Network.org.
