Health Professionals Urged To Attend NH Symposium On The Latest Breakthroughs For Neuropsychiatric Disorders Triggered By Strep And Other Infections

The Alex Manfull Fund is presenting the conference to help physicians and mental health practitioners recognize and treat immune-mediated psychiatric disorders PANDAS/PANS

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Sept. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rapid onset of OCD, anxiety, and tics in children and young adults can be triggered by a strep (streptococcal) infection, however, the underlying cause is not widely recognized or treated, according to researchers and physicians who specialize in post-infectious neuropsychiatric disorders called PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus) and PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome).

The symposium, entitled PANDAS/PANS: Recognizing, Understanding and Treating Immune-Mediated Neuropsychiatric Disorders, will share new advances and provide an opportunity for clinicians to discuss improving early detection and treatment. The event, hosted by The Alex Manfull Fund, takes place on Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 8:30am-6pm at Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The cost is $85. To register visit https://thealexmanfullfund.org/symposium/

Attendance is limited to physicians, psychologists, nurses, mental health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and others involved in the treatment, education, research, or funding related to such disorders. Attendees will learn from world-renowned experts how to distinguish immune-mediated mental health disorders from primary psychiatric disorders; the symptoms are similar but the cause is different and requires treatment of the underlying infection (e.g.: strep, mycoplasma, lyme), inflammation, and immunological issues. In addition, the latest research on the role of genetics, the microbiome, and cytokines will also be presented. Speakers include top clinicians and researchers from across the US and Europe.

Dr. Juliette Madan, Director of the Psychiatry Immunology and Neurology Group at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, is a presenter at the symposium. She says, "This is an exciting opportunity for physicians and physician scientists to connect in person and share clinical and translational research about this challenging condition. We are working collaboratively to better understand the mechanisms behind PANDAS/PANS in order to identify diagnostic biomarkers and clarify individualized treatment protocols to diagnose and treat young people more readily. Ongoing research is bringing us closer to achieving our goal of quickly identifying post infectious neuropsychiatric illnesses and finding a cure."

Dr. Kyle Williams, Director of Pediatric Neuropsychiatry and Immunology at Massachusetts General Hospital, has evaluated approximately 1200 children in the last decade for PANDAS/PANS and says about a quarter meet the criteria for the disorder. Dr. Williams attended the 2019 symposium hosted by The Alex Manfull Fund and is encouraging other doctors and mental health workers to attend: "This symposium does a fantastic job of including emerging science that will have a clinical impact both now and in the future. We are learning a great deal about how the immune system impacts the brain. There's no question we need to improve access to care for families who are frustrated by the lack of a standardized approach and challenges with insurance coverage."

Susan Manfull, PhD, is organizing the symposium; "We know common infections can set in motion a misdirected immune response that can trigger inflammation in the brain leading to serious deterioration in psychological functioning for some children, as was the case with our daughter, Alex, who passed away as a result of PANDAS. This research is critical to early recognition of PANDAS/PANS as effective treatment can dramatically improve outcomes."

The nonprofit Alex Manfull Fund was established in 2018 to build awareness of PANDAS/PANS so young people will have improved treatment outcomes. Alex Manfull was 26 when she died from the effects of PANDAS. Her parents started the nonprofit to honor their daughter's legacy; TheAlexManfullFund.org

SOURCE The Alex Manfull Fund