International Conference on Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome: from neuroinflammation to clinical practice.
Dr. Stefano Pallanti will participate in the conference as one of the leading experts on PANS/PANDAS and neuroinflammation and will give a presentation entitled "The Neuroinflammation Hypothesis in Psychiatry". It will take place at the Palacongressi of the G. Martino University Hospital in Messina on 13 and 14 June 2025.
Details of the course
📅 Date: 13 June 2025
📍 Place: Policlinico Universitario G. Martino di Messina
Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) features a
heterogeneous constellation of acute obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD), eating restriction, cognitive, behavioral and/or
affective symptoms, often followed by a chronic course with
cognitive deterioration. An immune-mediated etiology is advocated
in which the CNS is hit by different pathogen-driven (auto)immune
responses. A dimensional view, taking into account the
multifactorial origin of psychiatric disorders, should suggest neuroinflammation
as a possible shared substrate of different psychiatric
phenotypes. The conference starts presenting the inflammatory
hypothesis and its mechanism (e.g. the microglial activation; the
hyperpermeability of BBB, etc). The second part is focused on PANS
and discusses the clinical (ie, diagnostic criteria, pre-existing
neurodevelopmental disorders, neuroimaging), pathophysiological
(ie, CSF, serum, genetic and autoimmune findings) and therapeutic
(immunomodulation/anti-inflammatory and antibiotics treatments
in association with both psychotropic and cognitive-behavioral
therapies) aspects of the syndrome. The conference aims to share
the knowledge on PANS between experts and intends to stimulate
new research hypothesis and to facilitate practitioners with the
disease management.
