Doctors believe the strep bacteria triggers an abnormal immune reaction; proteins attack the area of the brain that controls behavior. This enigmatic disease now known as PANDAS, short for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Strep.
Increasing evidence points to a relationship between certain bacterial infections and autoimmune attacks that can disrupt normal neurologic functioning, according to researchers at Moleculera Labs. Using a panel of biomarker tests for autoantibodies against specific neuronal antigens and a key enzyme involved in the upregulation of many neurotransmitters can help physicians better diagnose and treat the underlying cause of such conditions, which are often misdiagnosed as psychiatric illnesses, motor tics or autism spectrum disorders and treated inappropriately with psychotropic drugs.
