08/02/2026
A case report described a 14-year-old boy with ADHD, PANS, autism, and autoimmune encephalitis who, after receiving antimicrobial treatment for suspected Lyme disease (borreliosis) and Bartonella infections, showed substantial improvements in learning disabilities, focus, concentration, mood, social skills, oppositional behavior, anger, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and several tic-like behaviors.
His IQ increased from 88 to 95, his English STAAR score improved from the 19th to the 46th percentile, he gained 35 pounds as his appetite improved, no longer required special education accommodations, transitioned to a grade-level classroom, graduated from high school, and was later accepted into a four-year university.
The authors emphasized that this was a single case report, meaning the findings cannot establish that antimicrobial therapy is an effective treatment for autism and should be confirmed in larger, controlled clinical studies.