Untangling PANDAS & PANS: Conversations about Infection-Associated, Immune-Mediated Neuropsychiatric Disorders

About Untangling PANDAS & PANS: Conversations about Infection-Associated, Immune-Mediated Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Hello and welcome to Untangling PANDAS & PANS, a podcast about two relatively unknown medical disorders characterized by the sudden and dramatic onset of obsessions and compulsions, vocal or motor tics, or restricted eating behavior -- and a whole host of other symptoms -- following strep or other bacterial or viral infection. Sometimes overnight. I have the privilege of interviewing some of the top researchers and clinicians in the rapidly growing field of Infection-Associated, Immune-Mediated Neuropsychiatric Disorders. That’s a mouthful of words that encompasses the strangely named disorders, PANDAS and PANS. My name is Dr. Susan Manfull. I am a social psychologist, the Executive Director of The Alex Manfull Fund, and the mother of Alex Manfull, who died at 26 years old due to PANDAS, a neuropsychiatric disorder my husband and I knew next to nothing about, certainly not that our daughter could die from it. PANDAS is an acronym for “Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorder Associated with Streptococcus.” This disorder, first defined in 1998 at the National Institute of Mental Health, describes the acute and dramatic onset of obsessions and compulsions and/or motor or vocal tics as well as a whole host of neuropsychiatric symptoms in temporal association to a Group A streptococcal infection. PANS, which stands for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, refers to a similar symptom presentation -- with obsessions and compulsions or restricted eating being the cardinal symptoms -- due to a broader category of triggers (typically bacterial or viral infections). Both are thought to stem from a dysregulated immune system, probably leading to an over-production of autoantibodies and concomitant excess brain inflammation, particularly in the basal ganglia. Symptoms vary from person to person and range in severity from mild to severe, and generally have a relapsing and remitting course. With early recognition and correct treatment, these disorders can be successfully treated. Today, it is no longer viewed as a diagnosis limited to the pediatric population. Please stay tuned after each episode to listen to a one-minute public service announcement about PANDAS & PANS and The Alex Manfull Fund. To learn more, please visit our website: TheAlexManfullFund.org. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Publisher

Susan Newman Manfull, PhD

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Apr 2024

Latest episode

16 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

33 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Aug 2026

   S3 E25: Journalist Jessica Slice Talks about her Article on PANS/PANDAS in New York Magazine

   Your kid gets a routine cold, and a week later they can’t sleep, can’t eat, can’t speak normally, can’t control their body, and the hospital tells you it’s “psychiatric.” That gap between what families see at home and what many clinicians are willing to consider is where PANS and PANDAS patients get stranded, and it’s why this conversation matters. We’re joined by journalist and author Jessica Slice, whose major New York Magazine article brought infection-associated neuroimmune disorders to ...

2. 

   3 Aug 2026

   S3 E24: Dr. Sue Swedo Talks About the Past 40 Years of PANS/PANDAS

   In this episode, we trace Dr. Swedo’s path from pediatrics to the National Institute of Mental Health and the early clinical observations that linked Sydenham chorea, rheumatic fever, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Along the way, she explains why OCD is often hidden for years unless clinicians ask the right questions, and why structured checklists can change everything for families searching for answers. We also confront the reality of scientific pushback: how skepticism shaped stronger r...

3. 

   30 Mar 2026

   S3 E23: Jadin O'Brien Overcomes PANDAS to Excel in Track & Field and Compete on the USA Olympic Bobsled Team

   Jaden O’Brien takes us inside the world of Olympic bobsled racing, beginning with the grind of multi-event track at Notre Dame to a three-week bobsled tryout in Lake Placid that turned into a World Cup spot and a ticket to the 2026 Winter Olympics with Team USA. We talk through the unglamorous parts: learning an unnatural push technique, handling pressure when one race can decide your entire season, and recovering from a violent crash that left her bruised, cut, and questioning whether...

Who has been a guest on Untangling PANDAS & PANS: Conversations about Infection-Associated, Immune-Mediated Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Uğur Akcan
• Dr Dritan Agalliu
• Jen

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

27 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

33

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Untangling PANDAS & PANS: Conversations about Infection-Associated, Immune-Mediated Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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