Diagnosing pseudobulbar affect in traumatic brain injury

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is defined by episodes of involuntary crying and/or laughing as a result of brain injury or other neurological disease. Epidemiology studies show that 5.3%-48.2% of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may have symptoms consistent with (or suggestive of) PBA. Yet it is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment 2014-01, Vol.10 (default), p.1903-1910
Main Authors: Engelman, William, Hammond, Flora M, Malec, James F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brain
Brain research
complications
Crying
differential diagnosis
Emotions
Epidemiology
Injuries
laughing
Laughter
Medical diagnosis
Mental depression
Neurological disorders
Patients
Physiological aspects
Post traumatic stress disorder
Rehabilitation
Review
Stroke
Traumatic brain injury
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Summary:Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is defined by episodes of involuntary crying and/or laughing as a result of brain injury or other neurological disease. Epidemiology studies show that 5.3%-48.2% of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) may have symptoms consistent with (or suggestive of) PBA. Yet it is a difficult and often overlooked condition in individuals with TBI, and is easily confused with depression or other mood disorders. As a result, it may be undertreated and persist for longer than it should. This review presents the signs and symptoms of PBA in patients with existing TBI and outlines how to distinguish PBA from other similar conditions. It also compares and contrasts the different diagnostic criteria found in the literature and briefly mentions appropriate treatments. This review follows a composite case with respect to the clinical course and treatment for PBA and presents typical challenges posed to a provider when diagnosing PBA.
ISSN:1176-6328
1178-2021
1178-2021
DOI:10.2147/NDT.S63304