Pseudobulbar affect (PBA )
Explanation of medical terms and concepts
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA )
Symptoms Pseudobulbar affect (PBA )
If you or someone you love has pseudobulbar affect, you might notice:
- Sudden, intense fits of crying or laughter that aren’t controlled
- Crying or laughter that doesn't seem right for the situation
- Outbursts of frustration and anger
- Facial expressions that don't match emotions
When to see a doctor
Causes Pseudobulbar affect (PBA )
- Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease
- Brain tumors
- Cerebellar lesions (including spinocerebellar atrophy)
- Epilepsy
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Neurosyphilis (an infection in the brain or spinal cord caused by spirochetes that causes syphilis)
- Parkinson’s disease
- Progressive supranuclear palsy (a brain disorder that causes problems with walking, balance, speech, thinking, vision, mood and behavior)
- Stroke
- Traumatic brain injury
- Wilson disease (a disorder in which copper builds up in the brain, liver and other organs.
Complications
Diagnosis Pseudobulbar affect (PBA )
Pseudobulbar have an effect on (PBA) is usually diagnosed throughout a neurologic evaluation. Specialists who will diagnose PBA embrace internists, neuropsychologists, neurologists and psychiatrists. PBA is usually misdiagnosed as depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, a mental disturbance and epilepsy. to assist your doctor confirm if you have got PBA, share specific details concerning your emotional outbursts.
f you or somebody you like is crying or happy plenty and you don't grasp why, confer with a doctor. PBA is difficult to diagnose as a result of it mimics alternative issues like depression or other mood disorders. Tell the doctor concerning any symptoms, together with after they happen and the way long they last. It can facilitate to stay a diary of crying and laughing episodes. Your doctor won't ought to do take a look ats to diagnose PBA. however to rule out a style of brain disorder that may cause similar symptoms, they could order an graphical record (EEG), a straightforward test that tracks your brain waves.
Two questionnaires help to tell if the laughing and weeping are signs of PBA:
- Pathological Laughing and Crying Scale (PLACS): The doctor asks you questions about the episodes, including how long they lasted, how they were tied to your mood and social situation, and how upset you felt afterward.
- Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS): You answer questions about your symptoms. How often do you have them? How do they make you feel? For example, "I find myself crying very easily" or "I'm easily overcome with laughter."
Treatment Pseudobulbar affect (PBA )
There is no cure for pseudobulbar affect (PBA), although the condition can be managed with oral medications.
The goal of treatment is to reduce the frequency and severity of episodes of laughing or crying. Drugs that are used to treat PBA include:
- Antidepressants. Tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, nortriptyline), selective 5-hydroxytryptamine re-uptake inhibitors (citalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine), and norepinephrine/serotonin reuptake inhibitors (venlafaxine, duloxetine and others) could also be effective in managing symptoms. Lower doses of antidepressants are used than the doses needed to treat depression, and are effective abundant faster than expected once treating depression.
- Nuedexta® (dextromethorphan/quinidine sulfate). A combination of dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant, and a awfully low dose of antiarrhythmic drug sulfate, a drug employed in the past to treat viscus arrhythmias, has been approved because the first drug specifically developed to treat PBA. though improvement in symptoms sometimes happens inside the primary week of beginning treatment (when taking only 1 capsule daily), a bigger profit occurs once taking the complete dose (two capsules daily), and continues with no proof of losing efficacy.
- Other medications. Other medicine could also be used for patients who don't answer first-line treatments. the selection of medication rely upon the patient’s tolerance and therefore the potential facet effects or adverse effects of the drug. Some medications could act with the drugs prescribed for different conditions, and this has to be watched for.
Coping and support
Living with pseudobulbar have an effect on (PBA) may be embarrassing and trying it'd facilitate to elucidate the condition to family friends and associates in order that they won't be confused or stunned by your behavior rebuke others with PBA might assist you feel understood and provides you the possibility to share tips about handling the condition
To cope with an episode:
- Distract yourself
- Take slow, deep breaths
- Relax your body
- Change your position
Preparing for your appointment
What you can do
- Keep a symptom diary.Use a notebook to record details about your emotional outbursts Outbursts that are deliberate last for a long period of time show no regard for others or cause problems in social interactions may indicate an emotional disorder
- Prepare key information.Be prepared to discuss any major stresses or recent life changes Also create a list of all medications vitamins herbs and supplements that you are taking Bring any past evaluations and results of formal testing with you if you have them
What to expect from your doctor
When you are examined by your doctor be ready to answer his or her questions such as:
- Do you cry easily?
- Do you often laugh at things that aren't really funny?
- Does laughter often turn to tears?
- Are you able to control your crying or laughter? Do you have difficulty suppressing emotional reactions?
- Do you experience emotions that are sometimes exaggerated or inappropriate?
- Are your outbursts an indication of how you feel at that moment?
- Do you avoid spending time with others because you’re concerned that you will have an emotional outburst?
- Do you have any signs of depression or other mood disorders?
General summary
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a condition characterized by inappropriate emotional expression It is often the result of brain damage and symptoms can include uncontrolled laughter or crying While PBA may occur due to many different underlying medical conditions the most common cause is stroke resulting from bleeding in the brain Treatments for this condition vary depending on its source but drugs called antidepressants and anticonvulsants are commonly prescribed as treatment options according to WebMD
Affect is a condition that causes emotional or behavioral changes It is also defined as the state of mind or mood of an individual The word affect and effect both have the same Latin root which means to do something to bring about change This is what the term "affect" means in a psychological sense: the outward behavior and visible gestures of an individual when interacting with other people
pseudobulbar affect
Pseudobulbar affect or PBA is a condition characterized by sudden outbursts of crying or laughing that are not connected to the situation at hand The bursts often occur when people are trying to speak but in some cases they can happen without warning Most people with PBA experience uncontrollable outbursts at least once a day and occasionally have trouble breathing after laughing or crying for no apparent reason These episodes may last from several seconds to minutes and cause embarrassment and social isolation for those who suffer from it However the good news is that it's treatable with counseling techniques such as cognitive