Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) diagnosis

Pseudobulbar affect prevalence

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a poorly understood neurologic condition characterized by episodes of crying or laughing that are sudden, frequent, and involuntary.1,2

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) has been known by other names2,4,5

  • Emotional lability
  • Pathological crying and laughing
  • Emotional incontinence

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) episodes may2,3

  • Occur several times a day and last from seconds to minutes
  • Be exaggerated or incongruent to a patient’s inner emotional state
  • Occur spontaneously, often with no clear trigger

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) occurs in patients with underlying neurologic disease or injury. Patients at risk include those with1,6-24

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
  • Stroke
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Certain other neurologic conditions