Dr. Lindsey Wells
ND
Biography
Meet The Speaker
Dr. Lindsey Wells is a naturopathic physician located in Trumbull, Connecticut. She focuses her practice on pediatric integrative care for PANS/PANDAS, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Vector-borne Diseases, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. She is the immediate Past President of the Connecticut Naturopathic Physicians Association (CNPA) and is a Fellow of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs. She is the first author of a recent publication on Folate Receptor Alpha Autoantibodies in the Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) Population. Dr. Wells frequently lectures on PANS/PANDAS and ASD to both professional and parent organizations, and is the author of the children’s book, Super Sam and the Battle Against PANS/PANDAS. Also, she is the creator of the Well-Minded Mommas Club, a community for mothers of children with complex medical illnesses.
Abstract
Chronic neuropsychiatric symptoms such as, anxiety, depression, memory loss, and OCD are frequent yet poorly understood in patients with persistent vector-borne infections. Emerging evidence points to cerebral folate deficiency (CFD), a condition characterized by low cerebrospinal fluid folate despite normal serum levels, as a potential contributor to these symptoms. Although underrecognized in the context of vector-borne illness, CFD may play a key role in the neurological and psychiatric manifestations seen in this population.
This presentation will explore the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of CFD, highlight challenges in diagnosis, and present the theoretical overlap between CFD and chronic infections. Practical clinical strategies will also be discussed, including testing for folate receptor autoantibodies, the role of dairy elimination, and the therapeutic use of high-dose folinic acid, offering hope for symptom relief in patients with vector-borne disease.