For your use, we have provided a glossary of terms that may helpful in discussing PBA with your doctor or healthcare professional.
Alzheimer’s Disease – a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer's is characterized by loss of function and death of nerve cells in several areas of the brain leading to loss of cognitive function such as memory and language. Typical disease progression over the course of five to ten years leads to profound intellectual decline characterized by dementia and personal helplessness. Alzheimer's is known to be a neurologic condition that can cause PBA.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – also called Lou Gehrig's disease is a chronic, progressive disease of the motor neurons (the nerves that come from the spinal cord to supply electrical energy to the muscles). ALS usually begins in middle age, and is characterized by increasing and spreading muscular weakness. ALS is known to be a neurologic condition that can cause PBA.
Central Nervous System (CNS) – collectively, the spinal cord, cranial nerves and brain.
CNS-LS Scale – Center for Neurologic Study Lability Scale, a validated instrument used to measure frequency and severity of PBA episodes. Your doctor may choose to use the CNS-LS Scale to assist with a PBA diagnosis.
Cognitive – intellectual activity including thinking, reasoning, remembering, imagining and learning.
Dementia – usually a progressive condition, most commonly caused by Alzheimer's disease, marked by the development of multiple cognitive deficits (such as memory impairment, the inability to use or understand language or plan and initiate complex behavior). Dementia is known to be a neurologic condition that can cause PBA.
Depression – a psychiatric mood disorder marked by sustained periods of sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase in time spent sleeping or insomnia, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Some people have both depression and PBA.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – a chronic, unpredictable neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). Symptoms include partial or complete paralysis, jerking muscle tremors, loss of coordination, and speech and visual disturbances. MS is known to be a neurologic condition that can cause PBA.
Neurologic Disorder – a disturbance in the structure or function of the nervous system resulting from developmental abnormality, disease, injury or toxin.
Neurotransmitter – a specialized chemical messenger that sends a message from one nerve cell to another, or to other organs.
Parkinson’s Disease – a neurologic degenerative disease that results from the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. Symptoms include tremor or trembling of the arms, jaw, legs, and face; stiffness or rigidity of the limbs and trunk; extremely slow movements or reflexes; or impaired balance and coordination. Parkinson's disease is known to be a neurologic condition that can cause PBA.
PLACS – Pathological Laughing And Crying Scale, a validated instrument measuring the severity of PBA. PLACS consists of a clinician-administered interview that quantifies several aspects of involuntary laughing and crying episodes. Your doctor may choose to use PLACS to assist with a PBA diagnosis.
Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) – a distinct neurologic disorder that is also known as emotional lability. PBA may occur in people diagnosed with neurologic diseases and brain injuries, and causes sudden and unpredictable episodes of crying, laughing or other emotional displays.
Stroke – brain injury caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel to the brain. A stroke occurs when blood flow is interrupted, restricting blood and oxygen to the brain.
Stroke can lead to reversible or irreversible damage including paralysis, coma, speech impediments and dementia. Stroke is known to be a neurologic condition that can cause PBA.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – caused by a person's head being hit or shaken violently, or penetrated. This injury disrupts the normal function of the brain and may permanently change how the person acts, moves, and/or thinks. Impairments can include sensory, perceptual, and motor abilities; cognition, language, memory and psychosocial behavior. TBI is known to be a neurologic condition that can cause PBA.
