Demystifying PANS/PANDAS Podcast

What if the most important vaccine question is not yes or no—but which child, which timing, and under what conditions? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS, Dr. Nancy O'Hara speaks with Dr. Ari Calhoun about immune activation, genetic susceptibility, microglial signaling, and why some children may be more vulnerable to neuroimmune responses when vaccines are given during sensitive devel...

What if the real problem is not just screen time, but what constant digital stimulation is doing to a child's brain, mood, and ability to cope? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS, We speak with Dr. Koichi Tanji about the sharp rise in recreational screen use, how to tell the difference between overuse and addiction, and why chronic gaming, social media, and online stimulation can impa...

What if a child's neuroinflammation began long before the first symptoms appeared? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Somer DelSignore joins us to speak about congenital vector-borne infections and how in utero exposure to pathogens and maternal immune activation may influence brain development, immune programming, and later neuropsychiatric or developmental challenges. They exp...

Sometimes the behaviors families rush to fix are actually part of a larger anxiety loop happening inside the home. In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Nancy O’Hara speaks with Dr. Sarah Bren about why therapy can be such a powerful and flexible tool for anxious children, and how the SPACE model helps parents shift patterns that may be unintentionally maintaining symptoms. They discus...

What if Bartonella is part of the reason some children with PANS remain stuck in cycles of rage, confusion, sleep disruption, and chronic neuropsychiatric symptoms? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , we speak with Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt about why Bartonella deserves much more attention in the PANS world—and why the term 'vector-borne disease' is often more accurate than simply say...

What if sleep, feeding struggles, and behavioral changes all traced back to how a child breathes? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Nancy O’Hara speaks with pediatric occupational therapist Bri Kurcsak about why airway health, tongue function, and sleep quality are often the missing pieces in children struggling with regulation, eating, and recovery. - - - - - About the Guest: Bri...

The biggest driver of brain symptoms might be what’s happening in the gut. In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS, we are joined by Dr. James Adams to talk about microbial metabolites, hidden yeast and bacterial issues in autism, a new urine-based metabolite test, and why microbiota transplant therapy may improve mood, sleep, and behavior by restoring microbial balance. - - - - - About the Gu...

What if the behaviors everyone sees aren't choices at all, but signs of a brain under siege? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS, Dr. Nancy O'Hara speaks with ten-year-old Aiden and his mother about living through PANS, the loss of control it brings, and what helped them finally find clarity, compassion, and a path forward. - - - - - About the Guest: Aiden is a ten-year-old living...

What if healing didn't start with another treatment, but with the space your family walks into every day? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Nancy O'Hara speaks with designer and author Stephen Saint-Onge about how home environments influence stress, regulation, sensory overwhelm, and emotional recovery for both parents and children. - - - - - About the Guest: Stephen Saint-...

The most powerful tool in pediatric care may not be a test or a treatment… but presence. In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Larry Rosen shares how curiosity, listening, and relationship-centered care change outcomes for children with complex neuroimmune conditions, including PANS/PANDAS. - - - - - About the Guest: Dr. Lawrence Rosen is an integrative pediatrician and founder of the...

What if one of the most commonly used childhood medications carries risks that medicine has failed to fully confront? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , I speak with Dr. William Parker about decades of research connecting acetaminophen exposure, susceptibility, and neurodevelopment, and why timing, metabolism, and immune stress matter more than most studies acknowledge. One overlooked m...

In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , I talk with TruDOSE leaders Tapley Holland and Elena Herning about how precision-dosed platelet therapy works to modulate immune dysfunction, calm neuroinflammation, and support healing in children and adults with complex conditions like autism and PANS/PANDAS. When healing finally starts working, it doesn’t always look comfortable at first. In this ep...

What if the fastest way to change a child’s diet is to stop trying to take foods away? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , I talk to Dr. Joshua Green on integrative care for complex illness, how he helps kids with restrictive eating by focusing on 'adding' first, and why a membership-based practice can restore time, trust, and better outcomes. What if families aren’t failing trea...

Why does neuroinflammation look different as children grow? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , pediatric neurologist Dr. John Gaitanis explains the continuum of neuroinflammation, why regression represents loss of brain function, and how energy metabolism, immune activation, and the cell danger response shape symptoms across childhood and adolescence. Regression isn’t loss without cause...

Lyme disease: what if everything you know about it was only a fraction of the truth? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Tom Moorcroft joins us to break down misdiagnosis, co-infections, persistence, testing pitfalls, immune dysregulation, and the mindset shifts that helped him recover after eight years of undiagnosed illness. Most people think Lyme disease is simple—until they get i...

This is the mistake most protocols make with complex kids… In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS, Dr. James Neuenschwander, also known as Dr. Neu, joins us to talk about root-cause biochemistry, why there’s no one-size protocol for autism or PANS/PANDAS, and how patterns like immune dysfunction, gut issues, methylation problems, and the cell danger response can drive chronic illness. Why com...

What if you did everything right in pregnancy… and your child still developed autism and PANS/PANDAS? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , functional clinical nutritionist Inna Topiler joins us to talk about autoimmunity, preconception health, hidden triggers, flares, and the deep emotional work of parenting a neurologically sensitive child. What happens when you spend years restoring you...

What happens when a ten-year-old wakes up as a completely different child, hearing voices, gripped by terror, and no one can explain why? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Isabel Witkos shares her story of years of misdiagnosis, trauma, self-harm, and suicidality, and how she rebuilt her life through therapy, community, and a stubborn kind of hope. She went to bed a typical ten-year-ol...

What if your child’s sudden tics, rages, anxiety, or personality changes were signs of the immune system attacking the brain after an infection? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Craig Shimasaki reveals how a simple blood test can uncover hidden immune reactions, explain the most confusing symptoms, and point families toward real answers and real healing. If your child changed over...

Leaky skin. Leaky gut. Leaky brain. The connection is real, and it’s impacting our kids. In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Sheila Kilbane joins us to connect the dots between eczema, atopic issues, histamine, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Join us as we break down the surprising overlap between leaky skin, leaky gut, and a leaky blood-brain barrier in kids with chronic inflammatory...

From toxins to trauma, diet to infections—modern kids face more than we realize. In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Beth Lambert and Dr. Heather Tallman Ruhm of the Documenting Hope Project join us to talk about why children’s chronic conditions like autism are driven by a ‘total load’ of modern-life stressors. Uncover how their groundbreaking research empowers parents to identify these...

What if the fastest way to calm the brain starts in the gut? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Sabine Hazan reveals surprising links between gut microbes and the brain—showing how tiny shifts in bifidobacteria can influence cognition, behavior, and recovery. She also unpacks the truth about fecal transplant, what makes a ‘good’ donor, why environment and product quality can undo pr...

What if your child’s symptoms trace back to your home’s air and dust? In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Meredith Pleiter, an environmental health coach, joins us to reveal the eight non-negotiables for successful mold remediation. He also shares practical, budget-friendly steps families can take now to protect their kids from mold. ---- What if your home is quietly keeping your child s...

At ReligenDX, we are revolutionizing diagnostic testing by equipping healthcare professionals with cutting-edge tools for early detection, targeted interventions, and improved patient outcomes. Our innovative solutions, including the Folate Receptor Antibody Test (FRAT) for PANS, PANDAS, and Autism, provide critical insights into neurological and immune-related conditions. With a commitment to sci...

School closures, masking, and fear left scars. Here's how to rebuild resilience. In this episode of Demystifying PANS/PANDAS , Dr. Elizabeth Mumper joins us to unpack what COVID taught us about children’s health—what worked, what harmed, and how to do better next time. She connects school closures, masking, and fear with developmental and mental health fallout, then ties the virus to neuroinfl...