Symptoms and Help for Pseudobulbar Affect
What is Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA)
Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA) is a neurological condition in which a person has outbursts of random laughing fits or extreme crying. These outbursts are often completely unrelated to how the person is feeling and can be completely unwarranted. They may also come on when a small laugh at a light joke seems to go on and on without your loved one being able to stop laughing.
PBA usually begins to develop when a person has had a brain injury or a neurological condition. It may go undiagnosed or get mistaken for a mood disorder.
Symptoms of PBA
The primary symptom of PBA is uncontrollable, frequent outbursts of extreme and out-of-control laughing or crying. Sometimes a person will start with extreme laughing which will then quickly turn into sobbing. Those who see their loved one experiencing PBA may think the person is overreacting and may try to get them to stop but it is uncontrollable and oftentimes, not related to the emotion those witnessing the event are seeing. Your loved one may not be sad at all as he loudly cries while walking around.
Most episodes are fairly short-lived and are over in less than five minutes, but because of the extreme emotions tied to the event, your loved one may feel exhausted or have a headache afterward. If he has other health conditions, it might aggravate those as well. Finally, if your loved one is still cognitively aware of his environment, he might be embarrassed or ashamed about his outburst, especially if it was completely inappropriate.
Who is Most Likely to Develop PBA
PBA is most common in those who suffer from other conditions that affect them neurologically. People who commonly develop PBA are those who have had or currently have:
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Lewy body dementia
- Stroke
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Traumatic brain injury
Tips for Supporting Someone with PBA
Your loved one may be embarrassed about his condition. He might even be a bit frightened by his outbursts. Even if you explain to others about his condition, it can be a bit shocking to witness and that may cause your loved one to want to withdraw from events, especially public events. There aren’t often triggers for PBA to start so it can happen at any place or anytime.
Finding caring individuals who can spend time with your loved one and understand his condition can help him feel less isolated. A provider that offers companion care at home can help your loved one still connect with others and do things such as play games, go for walks, or just enjoy someone’s company. A companion care at home provider will be there to support your loved one and provide a safe place for him to enjoy activities without fear of judgment or strange looks.
If your loved one does have an episode of extreme crying or laughing when his companion care at home provider is visiting, his provider can help him take steps to lessen or shorten the episode, such as taking slow, deep breaths, creating a diversion, or helping him change his body position. Having someone to guide him through the outburst can provide reassurance for your loved one during the episode.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Companion Care at Home in Rancho Murieta, CA, please contact the caring staff at Aging Assistant today at (916) 897-4752
