Susan Swedo
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Susan Swedo is a researcher in the field of
pediatrics Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...
and
neuropsychiatry Neuropsychiatry or Organic Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with psychiatry as it relates to neurology, in an effort to understand and attribute behavior to the interaction of neurobiology and social psychology factors. Within neurop ...
. Beginning in 1998, she was Chief of the Pediatrics & Developmental Neuroscience Branch at the US
National Institute of Mental Health The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH, in turn, is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the prima ...
. In 1994, Swedo was lead author on a paper describing pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (
PANDAS Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) is a controversial hypothetical diagnosis for a subset of children with rapid onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or tic disorders. Sy ...
), a controversial hypothesis proposing a link between
Group A streptococcal infection Group A streptococcal infections are a number of infections with ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a group A streptococcus (GAS). ''S. pyogenes'' is a species of beta-hemolytic gram-positive bacteria that is responsible for a wide range of infections t ...
in children and some rapid-onset cases of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or
tic disorder Tic disorders are defined in the ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (DSM) based on type (motor or phonic) and duration of tics (sudden, rapid, nonrhythmic movements). Tic disorders are defined similarly by the World Health ...
s such as
Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome or Tourette's syndrome (abbreviated as TS or Tourette's) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) ...
. Swedo retired from the NIH in 2019, and serves on the PANDAS Physician Network.


Biography

Swedo received a BA degree from Augustana College in 1977, and an MD from
Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...
School of Medicine in 1980. Her internship and residency in
pediatrics Pediatrics ( also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. In the United Kingdom, paediatrics covers many of their youth until th ...
were conducted at the Children’s Memorial Hospital of the
McGaw Medical Center The McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University is a consortium of urban, suburban, specialized, and general hospitals and Northwestern University. The member hospitals of the center have a total bed capacity of more than 2200. Education Cha ...
of
Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...
. Following completion of her residency, Swedo served as Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Northwestern until 1986. In 1986, Swedo she joined Judith L. Rapoport's laboratory as a senior staff fellow in the Child Psychiatry Branch of the
National Institute of Mental Health The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH, in turn, is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is the prima ...
(NIMH). There, she conducted research on pharmacological treatments for childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and was granted tenure in 1992. In 1994, she was named Head of the Section on Behavioral Pediatrics, and from 1995 to 1998 also served as the Acting Scientific Director for NIMH. In 1998, she became Chief of the Pediatrics and Developmental Neuropsychiatry Branch (PDN) at NIMH. At PDN, Swedo conducted research on the causes and treatment of pediatric neuropsychiatric disorders, including OCD,
anxiety disorder Anxiety disorders are a cluster of mental disorders characterized by significant and uncontrollable feelings of anxiety and fear such that a person's social, occupational, and personal function are significantly impaired. Anxiety may cause physi ...
s, and autistic spectrum disorders. Swedo was a member of the
DSM-V The ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition'' (DSM-5), is the 2013 update to the ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'', the taxonomic and diagnostic tool published by the American Psychiatric ...
task force, which expects to publish an updated version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2012. Swedo has won several awards, including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Award for Scientific Achievement and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology International Award for Clinical Research. Susan E. Swedo, M.D., Senior Investigator at the National Institutes of Health
/ref>Susan Swedo at the Institute of Medicine
Susan Swedo, MD at the American Psychiatric Association
/ref>


PANDAS

In 1994, Swedo was lead author on a paper describing Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (
PANDAS Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS) is a controversial hypothetical diagnosis for a subset of children with rapid onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or tic disorders. Sy ...
). The proposed mechanism, similar to that of
rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a streptococcal throat infection. Signs and symptoms include fever, multiple painful jo ...
, is one of an inappropriate
autoimmune response An autoimmune disease is a condition arising from an abnormal immune response to a functioning body part. At least 80 types of autoimmune diseases have been identified, with some evidence suggesting that there may be more than 100 types. Nearly a ...
in the brain, leading to repetitive behaviors. The proportion of cases of these neuropsychiatric disorders, if any, following this mechanism is not clear. The PANDAS hypothesis is controversial and unproven. As of 2020, the NIH information pages (which Swedo helped write) do not mention the studies that do not support the PANDAS hypothesis.


Autism study

In September 2006, Swedo launched a study of the widespread but unproven use of
chelation therapy Chelation therapy is a medical procedure that involves the administration of Chelation, chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body. Chelation therapy has a long history of use in clinical toxicology and remains in use for some very sp ...
, which is based on the hypothesis that the
mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...
-containing vaccine preservative
thiomersal Thiomersal (INN), or thimerosal (USAN, JAN), is an organomercury compound. It is a well-established antiseptic and antifungal agent. The pharmaceutical corporation Eli Lilly and Company gave thiomersal the trade name Merthiolate. It has been u ...
is linked with
autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
. The trial was to compare the chelator
DMSA Succimer, sold under the brand name Chemet among others, is a medication used to treat lead, mercury, and arsenic poisoning. When radiolabeled with technetium-99m, it is used in a number of types of diagnostic testing. A full course is 19 days ...
with placebo, with the social and language skills of the subjects being evaluated after twelve weeks. The trial was halted in February 2007 due to ethical concerns about safety following new evidence of risks of permanent cognitive and emotional problems in otherwise-healthy rodents that were given DMSA.


Bibliography

* ''It's Not All In Your Head: The Real Causes and Newest Solutions to Women's Most Common Health Problem'' * ''Is it "Just a Phase"?: How to Tell Common Childhood Phases from More Serious Problems''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swedo, Susan American neuroscientists Living people Obsessive–compulsive disorder researchers American women neuroscientists Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women