AUTHOR=Bejerot Susanne , Hylén Ulrika , Glans Martin , Hesselmark Eva , Humble Mats B. 

TITLE=Joint Hypermobility in Paediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome—A Preliminary Case-Control Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.797165

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2021.797165

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> 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.</p><p><bold>Method:</bold> 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).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Hypermobility was similar across groups, and high rates of psychiatric comorbidity was not associated with higher Beighton scores.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> 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.</p>