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If you want to learn more about Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA), look no further. Below you’ll find FAQs and other resources to help you better understand PBA.
All individuals are real patients living with PBA or caregivers for real patients living with PBA. The appearances of the individuals depicted were accurate at the time the images were taken.
PBA Frequently Asked Questions
Pseudobulbar Affect, or PBA, is a medical condition that causes sudden, frequent, uncontrollable crying and/or laughing episodes that don’t match how the patient is feeling. Many patients report that the crying and/or laughing they experience with PBA feels different than their crying and/or laughing normally does. It can happen in people living with a brain injury or certain neurologic conditions.
There are 6 common primary conditions associated with PBA: traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer disease/dementia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease. While these are the most common, PBA can also occur with other neurologic conditions.
No. PBA cannot occur without first having a neurologic condition or brain injury.
According to an online survey, PBA was estimated to affect approximately 2 million US patients with underlying neurologic conditions.
PBA is not depression. It’s important to understand that they are separate medical conditions. Some people can have both PBA and depression. Both conditions are treatable and should be diagnosed by the patient’s healthcare provider and managed separately. Watch this video to learn more about how PBA and depression are different.
The CNS-LS is a self-administered questionnaire designed to be completed by the patient or caregiver. Questions consist of subscales for laughter (4 items) and crying (3 items). Each question is scored on a 5-point scale (1=applies never, 5=applies most of the time). Total scores can range from 7 (no symptoms) to 35 (maximum). A CNS-LS score of ≥13 may suggest the presence of signs and symptoms of PBA, defined by sudden, frequent, and uncontrollable episodes of laughing and/or crying.
No, only a doctor can diagnose PBA. The CNS-LS (PBA Quiz) was developed by healthcare professionals to help doctors determine whether a person is having PBA symptoms. It has been validated in ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and MS (multiple sclerosis) patient populations.
If you think you may have Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA), it’s important to talk to a specialist. Any doctor who is knowledgeable about PBA can provide a diagnosis, although not all doctors will be familiar with the condition. Doctors who specialize in treating neurologic conditions and brain injuries may have experience in treating PBA. Below is a short list of specialists who may be familiar with PBA:
- Neurologists
- Psychiatrists
- Internists
- Neuropsychiatrists
- Brain injury specialists
- Physiatrists (physical medicine and rehabilitation)
Crying and laughing are normal displays of emotion, so it may be challenging to explain how your crying and/or laughing episodes are not normal, especially when you’re not sure why they’re happening. Consider taking steps to prepare for your doctor’s appointment, so you’re equipped to explain your episodes and how they affect you. Check out these tips for talking to your doctor.
What Is PBA?
What does the definition of PBA actually mean? Watch this video for a breakdown.
How Are PBA and Depression Different?
Learn more about what makes PBA and depression different and how it’s possible to have both PBA and depression at the same time.
The Primary Conditions Associated With PBA
It’s important to understand the primary conditions associated with PBA because it can occur in patients with certain neurologic conditions or brain injury.
Additional resources
MLR-PBA-US-0793-1022