PANS 31-Symptom Rating Scale

The PANS 31-Item Symptom Rating Scale (PANS Rating Scale), developed by Bernstein et al., is designed to identify and measure the severity of PANS symptoms. This scale includes 31 items, rated on a Likert scale from 0 (none) to 4 (extreme). Children experiencing a flare of their neuropsychiatric symptoms will have significantly higher PANS Total scores compared to those not in a flare.

The PANS Rating Scale is a valuable comprehensive tool for assessing children with PANS. During clinic visits, clinicians and families can use it to discuss the most impairing neuropsychiatric symptoms. It does not include certain physical symptoms common in the PANS population (e.g., postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome symptoms, fatigue, movements during sleep, morning stiffness, rashes), as these are covered by a traditional medical review of systems.

Since it is not feasible to review and discuss all 31 items during a clinic visit, this instrument serves as a starting point for clinicians and families to discuss the most impactful symptoms while ensuring a complete inventory of symptoms is recorded.

We have created a PDF and Google Sheet version of the “PANS Rating Scale” accessible for clinicians, researchers, and personal tracking. Print off the PDF version to fill out by hand. Or save a copy of the Google Sheet version to your Google Drive (includes generated formulas to help tabulate your PANS Total Score).