Contents:
- Medical Video: The Science of Depression
- What are the symptoms of someone suffering from pseudobulbar affect?
- What causes someone to have a pseudobulbar affect?
- Treatment for pseudobulbar affect
Medical Video: The Science of Depression
Crying and laughing are normal things you normally do. You will shed tears when you feel sad or burst out laughing because of a joke that was made by a friend. However, do you know there are one million people in the world who often cry and laugh suddenly, act in control, and often at the wrong time? This response is not a sign of his mood being happy or sad, but because of a nervous system disorder called pseudobulbar affect or commonly abbreviated as PBA.
What are the symptoms of someone suffering from pseudobulbar affect?
Someone who has this disorder usually suddenly crying and laughing uncontrollably, they can cry or laugh at the wrong time and will last longer than laughing or crying normal people. And this will happen several times a day. The expression on the face of someone who has pseudobulbar affect is usually not in accordance with his emotions.
Laugh and cry for someone whose PBA is not related to mood or mood. In other words, you might feel happy but start crying and can't stop. Or you can feel sad but start laughing when you shouldn't. You might just cry or laugh a lot. Some people say the symptoms of PBA occur so quickly and cannot be prevented. However, it is important to note that the pseudobulbar affects different symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder.
If you or the person closest to you has PBA, this disorder might make someone become anxious or embarrassed in public. You might worry about your future or social life and often cancel plans with friends or family out of fear.
If you live with someone who has a PBA, maybe all this time you feel confused or frustrated. Emotional anxiety will greatly affect recovery and quality of life. It is important to immediately seek treatment from a qualified doctor.
What causes someone to have a pseudobulbar affect?
Scientists believe that PBA is a result of damage to the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that helps control emotions. Changes in brain chemicals associated with depression and mood can also play a role.
Injuries or diseases that affect the brain are thought to cause the pseudobulbar affect. According to research, about half of people who have had a stroke have a pseudobulbar affect. Diseases often associated with PBA include brain tumors, dementia, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and parkinson's disease.
Treatment for pseudobulbar affect
Doctors usually prescribe antidepressants to control PBA symptoms, but these drugs don't always work well. In 2010, the FDA approved dextromethorphan / quinidine (nuedexta), the first drug therapy for PBA. Studies show this drug helps control someone who often cries and laughs uncontrollably because they have PBA.
