Psychometric Properties of the PANS 31-Item Symptom Rating Scale

Objectives: Pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) is characterized by sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or eating restriction with associated neuropsychiatric symptoms from at least two of seven categories. The PANS 31-Item Symptom Rating Scale (PANS Rating Scale) was developed to identify and measure the severity of PANS symptoms. The objective of this study was to define the psychometric properties of the PANS Rating Scale. Methods: Children with PANS (N = 135) and their parents participated. Parents completed the PANS Rating Scale and other scales on Research Electronic Data Capture. The PANS Rating Scale includes 31 items that are rated on a Likert scale from 0 = none to 4 = extreme. Pearson's correlations were run between the PANS Total score and scores on the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (CY-BOCS), Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS), Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS), PANS Global Impairment Score (GIS), and Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). Results: Convergent validity was supported by significant correlations between the PANS Total and scores on the CY-BOCS, YGTSS, MOAS, CIS, GIS, and CGAS. The largest correlations were with measures of functional impairment: PANS Total and CIS (r = 0.81) and PANS Total and GIS (r = 0.74). Cronbach's alpha was 0.89 which demonstrates strong internal consistency of the 31 items. PANS Total score was significantly higher in children in a flare of their neuropsychiatric symptoms compared to children who were not in a flare. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary support for the PANS Rating Scale as a valid research instrument with good internal consistency. The PANS Rating Scale appears to be a useful measure for assessing children with PANS.