Evaluation of basal ganglia and thalamic inflammation in children with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infection and tourette syndrome: a positron emission tomographic (PET) study using 11C-[R]-PK11195.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional case-control neuroimaging study comparing pediatric cohorts to adult controls
PubMed 25117419 · doi:10.1177/0883073814543303
What was done
Dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) using the radioligand 11C-[R]-PK11195 (targeting TSPO receptors on activated microglia) was performed to evaluate neuroinflammation in the basal ganglia and thalamus. Researchers measured binding potential in 17 children with clinically diagnosed PANDAS (mean age 11.4 ± 2.6 years; 13 males), 12 children with Tourette syndrome (mean age 11.0 ± 3.0 years; 10 males), and 15 healthy adult controls (mean age 28.7 ± 7.9 years; 8 males).
What was found
The abstract provides no numerical binding values, effect sizes, or statistical metrics. It reports that binding potential was increased in both bilateral caudate and bilateral lentiform nuclei in children with PANDAS compared to controls, whereas increases were restricted to bilateral caudate nuclei in children with Tourette syndrome.
Why it matters
This study provides in vivo neuroimaging evidence suggesting localized microglial activation and distinct basal ganglia neuroinflammatory patterns between PANDAS and Tourette syndrome.
Limits
The sample size is small (12 to 17 per group). Controls were healthy adults rather than age-matched children, confounding developmental differences with neuroinflammation. The abstract omits quantitative binding metrics and p-values.
Cited by
- supports Streptococcal infections in children can trigger pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders (PANDAS) affecting the basal ganglia and caudate nucleus, causing OCD symptoms.