Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment associated with parent management training (PMT) for the acute symptoms in a patient with PANDAS syndrome: a case report

Cristiana A Guido; Anna Maria Zicari; Marzia Duse; Alberto Spalice

doi:10.1186/s13052-019-0667-1

Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment associated with parent management training (PMT) for the acute symptoms in a patient with PANDAS syndrome: a case report

Ital J Pediatr. 2019 Jun 26;45(1):74. doi: 10.1186/s13052-019-0667-1.

Authors

Cristiana A Guido¹, Anna Maria Zicari², Marzia Duse², Alberto Spalice³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology Division, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy.
² Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Division, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy.
³ Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology Division, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy. alberto.spalice@uniroma1.it.

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this report was to present the results of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy associated with parent management training (PMT) in a child with paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcus (PANDAS), who had previously only been treated with pharmacological treatment.

Case presentation: The case concerns an 11-year-old boy who presented with simple and complex vocal tics, motor tics, obsessive-compulsive traits and irritability from the age of 6 years, in addition to a positive result for streptococcal infection. The course of symptoms followed a relapsing-remitting trend with acute phases that were contingent on the infectious episodes.

Conclusions: Following eight sessions of EMDR, preceded by training sessions with the parents, the child showed a significant reduction in symptoms and disappearance of the exacerbation. These results indicate the possibility of improving the treatment outcomes of patients with PANDAS by a combined approach using both antibiotic and EMDR therapies.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experiences; Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing treatment; PANDAS/PANS syndrome; Parent training.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Autoimmune Diseases / therapy*
Child
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing*
Humans
Male
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / therapy*
Parents / education*
Streptococcal Infections / therapy*

Supplementary concepts

Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections