Abstract
Background: Individuals with generalised joint hypermobility (GJH, present in 10–20% of the general population) are at increased risk of being diagnosed with a range of psychiatric and rheumatological conditions. It is unknown whether Paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS), characterised by childhood onset obsessive-compulsive disorder or restricted eating and typically associated with several comorbid neuropsychiatric symptoms, is associated with GJH. It is also unknown whether extensive psychiatric comorbidity is associated with GJH.Method: This is a case-control study including 105 participants. We compared three groups: Individuals with PANS, individuals with other mental disorders and healthy controls. Joint mobility was assessed with the Beighton scoring system, psychiatric comorbidity with the M.I.N.I. or MINI-KID interview and symptoms of PANS with the PsychoNeuroInflammatory related Signs and Symptoms Inventory (PNISSI).Results: Hypermobility was similar across groups, and high rates of psychiatric comorbidity was not associated with higher Beighton scores.Conclusion: Although GJH is associated with several psychiatric conditions, such as ADHD and anxiety, this does not seem to be the case for PANS according to this preliminary study.
Highlights
Generalised joint hypermobility (GJH) is present in 10–20% of the normal population, the rate may vary to a considerable extent depending on the applied cutoff scores of the measure [1]
We found no significant correlations in the collapsed paediatic acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and psychiatric control group between number of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, and the Beighton score (Spearman’s rho = −0.25; p = 0.84)
In our small sample of individuals with PANS we could not find any such association, nor could we find an overrepresentation of GJH among controls with mental disorder compared to a healthy control group
Summary
Generalised joint hypermobility (GJH) is present in 10–20% of the normal population, the rate may vary to a considerable extent depending on the applied cutoff scores of the measure [1]. Inflammation is suggested to play a role in the pathophysiology of both PANS and POTS, the purported immunological mechanisms are still unclear [7, 8] Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, panic, fears, problems with concentration and memory, and sleep disturbance are common across these diagnoses [6, 9, 10]. Individuals with generalised joint hypermobility (GJH, present in 10–20% of the general population) are at increased risk of being diagnosed with a range of psychiatric and rheumatological conditions. It is unknown whether Paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS), characterised by childhood onset obsessive-compulsive disorder or restricted eating and typically associated with several comorbid neuropsychiatric symptoms, is associated with GJH. It is unknown whether extensive psychiatric comorbidity is associated with GJH
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
