MD For Moms Radio, Every Wednesday 1pm (ET) on The BBM Global Network and TuneIn Radio.
This week on MD for Moms, I’ll be interviewing Neurologist Dr. David Younger about disorders triggered by infection and autoimmunity that can impact the children’s nervous systems. Examples include Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) and Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS).
Everyone has likely heard of Lyme Disease, but did you know that it can affect the brain? This is one of several causes of PANS. Symptoms can be vague, so it is often misdiagnosed. Have you ever heard of PANDAS? It isn’t referring to the cute bears in the zoo! PANDAS is a syndrome resulting from strep throat. Children wake up one morning with new tics, or psychiatric symptoms like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Behavior often changes drastically and children can have significant issues in school and at home. Scary!
Dr. Younger will share how these infections impact the body, common symptoms and treatment options. Dr. Younger will share a balanced review and will explain some of the medical controversies surrounding these illnesses.
Learn more about my guest, Dr. David Younger:
Dr. Younger completed a three-year medicine residency before completing his training in neurology, followed by three years of fellowship before joining Columbia’s faculty as Assistant Professor. He was recruited to three Manhattan hospitals where he served as Chief of Neuromuscular Diseases for over almost two decades, already an established editor and author of several textbooks and over 200 research articles.