What is pba
PBA is often
misunderstood1
Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA) is a distinct neurologic condition caused by other neurologic conditions. It’s characterized by frequent and uncontrollable crying and/or laughing1-3
Actor portrayals.
Laughing and/or crying in PBA is:
Uncontrollable3
“It happens in public. I can’t control it.”
Sudden2
“I cry for no reason. It comes out of the blue.”
Frequent2
“I cry more than I used to. The littlest thing sets me off.”
Disconnected from their actual mood2
“I don’t know why I’m laughing. It’s not funny.”
Exaggerated4
“I overreact to things now. My response is excessive.”
PBA symptoms can be mistaken for depression. Read more about the differences between the two conditions.1
Learn morePatients don't always know how to explain their PBA episodes. Hear how they describe symptoms.5
~2 million patients may have PBA
According to an online survey, PBA was estimated to affect approximately 2 million US patients with underlying neurologic conditions.1
More patients than you think might be suffering from PBA
Presence of PBA crying and/or laughing symptoms in select neurologic conditions1*
*Based on the PRISM Registry, including 5290 patients with stroke, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer disease, and Parkinson’s disease.1 CNS-LS is a self-administered questionnaire, designed to be completed by the patient with a 7-item rating scale that measures perceived frequency and severity of PBA episodes. It was validated as a screening tool in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and multiple sclerosis populations.4,6 A CNS-LS score of ≥13 may suggest PBA symptoms, and a score of ≥21 may suggest more severe and frequent PBA symptoms.1
CNS-LS=Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale; yrs=years.
Hear from Dr Nick Fisher
Dr Fisher is a paid consultant of Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Prevalence of PBA in your practice
Dr Nick Fisher describes the common ways patients with PBA describe their condition.
The importance of screening for PBA
Dr Nick Fisher shares why some doctors screen all their patients for PBA.
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References:
1.
Brooks BR, Crumpacker D, Fellus J, Kantor D, Kaye RE. PRISM: a novel research tool to assess the prevalence of pseudobulbar affect symptoms across neurological conditions. PLoS One. 2013;8(8):e72232. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072232
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2.
Nuedexta. Package insert. Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.; 2022.
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3.
Miller A, Pratt H, Schiffer RB. Pseudobulbar affect: the spectrum of clinical presentations, etiologies and treatments. Expert Rev Neurother. 2011;11(7):1077-1088. doi:10.1586/ern.11.68
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4.
Hammond FM, Alexander DN, Cutler AJ, et al. PRISM II: an open-label study to assess effectiveness of dextromethorphan/quinidine for pseudobulbar affect in patients with dementia, stroke or traumatic brain injury. BMC Neurol. 2016;16:89. doi:10.1186/
s12883-016-0609-0 -
5.
Suavé WM. Recognizing and treating pseudobulbar affect. CNS Spectr. 2016;21(S1):34-44. doi:10.1017/ S1092852916000791
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6.
Pioro EP, Brooks BR, Cummings J, et al. Dextromethorphan plus ultra low-dose quinidine reduces pseudobulbar affect. Ann Neurol. 2010;68(5):693-702. doi:10.1002/
ana.22093