A number of US medical experts will visit Dublin this October to speak at the first ever Irish conference on Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

First identified in the US in 1998, PANDAS has been described by medics as a rare autoimmune disorder in children. Because it is believed to be linked with Streptococcal bacterial infections, it is frequently referred to as rheumatic fever of the brain.

The half-day meeting hopes to raise awareness among the medical profession about PANDAS.

Organised by PANDAS Ireland, the conference will take place in the Dublin Convention Centre on October 22nd and will be free of charge to medical practitioners.

Speakers will include US neurologists and PANDAS specialists, Dr Rosario Trifiletti and Dr Elizabeth Latimer, who both have expertise in treating children with PANDAS in their clinics in the US.

Author of two books on the subject, 'Saving Sammy' and 'Childhood Interrupted', Beth Alison Maloney, will also speak of her experiences and her son's full recovery from the disorder.

With PANDAS it is believed that the body's defence system attacks part of the brain that controls fear, hunger, and movement and can, as a result, cause obsessive compulsive type behaviour or tics.

PANDAS can also present with a wide range of other symptoms, including personality changes, ADHD-type behaviour, a refusal to eat because of a fear of choking, extreme fears and/or rituals, sleep disturbance, separation anxiety, sensitivity to clothing, noise, light, taste, a noticeable decrease in handwriting or maths skills, or frequent urination or accidents.

While scientific and medical knowledge is limited so far, a number of experts in the US have found antibiotics to be an effective treatment for PANDAS in many cases.

Karen Cafferky of PANDAS Ireland said the conference is about raising awareness of this little known disorder. "If we don't raise awareness here we won't ever get the care needed for our children. We want people who can make a difference, to come to this conference."

For more information on PANDAS Ireland and the upcoming conference email PANDASIreland@gmail.com or log onto www.pandasireland.ie.