One of the lesser known symtoms of MS is PBA (no l dont have have this)
PBA also known as Pseudobulbar Affect... It involves uncontrolled or inappriate episodes of laughing or crying. These emotional responses don’t match the intensity of your inner feelings. PBA results from certain underlying neurological conditions. It is manageable with medication.
Although episodes of laughing or crying may seem appropriate for the triggering event (such as seeing or hearing something funny or sad), they tend to be more difficult to restrain. They can also be more intense and last longer than you would ordinarily expect. It is a Neurological condition!
PBA may be called several other names, including:
Emotional lability.
Pathological laughing and crying.
Involuntary emotional expression disorder.
Compulsive laughing or weeping.
Emotional incontinence.
PBA can have a substantial impact on your life and the lives of your family members and caregivers. It can cause embarrassment and anxiety, leading to withdrawal and social isolation.
(Please dont let it!)
What are the symptoms of pseudobulbar affect (PBA)?
It’s important to know the difference between mood and affect when understanding PBA. Mood is your subjective experience of an emotion. It’s your inner feelings, such as sadness, anger or happiness. Affect is the visible display of emotion that others can see, such as smiling, laughing or crying.
Based on this, the main symptom of pseudobulbar affect is affects — often crying or laughing — that don’t match your mood or the intensity of your mood.
The laughing and/or crying can:
Be unpredictable, sudden and involuntary. Be out of proportion to the trigger. Happen for no apparent reason.
Involuntary outbursts of anger or frustration may also occur.
Since PBA is often associated with underlying neurological conditions, such as a brain injury or ALS, people with PBA will likely have other symptoms that correspond with the underlying condition.
Several neurological conditions can cause this disruption and are associated with PBA, including:
Traumatic brain injury.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Multiple sclerosis (MS).
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Stroke.
Parkinson’s disease.
Brain tumors.
Epilepsy
Wilson’s disease.
How is pseudobulbar affect diagnosed?
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) can be difficult to diagnose. Healthcare providers often misdiagnose it as a mood disorder — especially depression or bipolar disorder.
Currently, there’s no definitive test to diagnose PBA. Healthcare providers base a diagnosis on a thorough understanding of your:
Symptoms.
Medical history, especially neurological conditions.
Mental health history.
Finding from a physical exam.
How is pseudobulbar affect treated?
There’s no cure for pseudobulbar affect (PBA), but certain medications can help manage it. The goal of treatment is to reduce the frequency and severity of episodes of laughing or crying.
Medications that healthcare providers prescribe for PBA include:
Dextromethorphan/quinidine sulfate (Nuedexta®): The FDA has approved a combination of dextromethorphan (a cough suppressant) and a very low dose of quinidine sulfate (a drug used in the past to treat cardiac arrhythmias) as the first drug specifically developed to treat PBA.
Antidepressants: Tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and norepinephrine/serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help manage the symptoms of PBA. The doses are typically lower than the doses required to treat depression.
All medications have possible side effects. You’ll work with a provider to determine the best treatment plan for you.
All this info AND MORE can be found here.... my.clevelandclinic.org/heal...
What about you? Do you think you have PBA? Or do you have PBA?
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