Neuroimmune Conference Highlights Biological Roots of Sudden Behavioral Changes in Children

When a child changes overnight—developing intense anxiety, obsessive fears, motor tics, or severe emotional dysregulation—parents often say a switch flipped. For many families, this marks the beginning of a long search for answers. At NeuroImmune Day, a leading conference on neuroimmune health, children's mental health expert Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge will challenge clinicians to look beyond symptoms and consider the biological drivers behind these sudden changes.

Drawing on more than 30 years of clinical experience, analysis of over 10,000 quantitative EEG brain maps, and her own family's experience with PANS and Lyme disease, Dr. Roseann argues that one question is often overlooked: What changed biologically? Conditions such as Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS), PANDAS, Lyme disease, and autoimmune encephalitis can trigger inflammation affecting the brain and nervous system, leading to dramatic behavioral shifts. Researchers estimate PANS may affect as many as 1 in 200 children, yet many healthcare professionals receive little formal training in recognizing it.

Dr. Roseann's presentation, titled "PANS/PANDAS and the Whole-Body Matrix: Why Dysregulation Isn't Just a Brain Issue," will explore how chronic nervous system activation influences immune function, sleep, gut health, and emotional regulation. She emphasizes that healing begins when the nervous system receives the message that it is safe. "When the brain and body remain locked in chronic survival mode, healing becomes much more difficult," she explains.

Her framework, Regulation First®, positions nervous system regulation as a biological prerequisite for healing. Rather than viewing it as a behavioral strategy, she sees it as a foundation that supports the body's capacity to recover. This approach is also the basis of her forthcoming book, The Dysregulated Kid: The Parenting Playbook for Helping Your Child Find Calm in a Chaotic World, set to be published by Page Two Books on September 22, 2026. The book offers practical, science-backed tools like the Love Pause® and CALMS Protocol® to help calm the nervous system.

For parents whose child changes overnight, Dr. Roseann advises not to wait. "Trust what you're seeing," she says. "Those changes deserve thoughtful medical evaluation and a conversation with clinicians who understand the connection between the brain, the immune system, and the nervous system." The conference, bringing together pediatricians, neurologists, psychiatrists, and other specialists, reflects a growing recognition that these systems are interconnected. As Dr. Roseann notes, "When we understand those connections, we open new possibilities for helping children who have remained stuck despite everyone's best efforts."

Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, Ed.D., LPC, BCN, is a nationally recognized children's mental health expert and founder of Regulation First Parenting®. She will present at NeuroImmune Day, sharing insights from her work with thousands of families. For more information on her book and resources, visit www.dysregulatedkid.com or her website at www.drroseann.com.