Why patients with MS
should know about PBA
Pseudobulbar Affect, or PBA, is a condition that causes uncontrollable crying and/or laughing that happens suddenly and frequently. It can happen in people with a brain injury or certain neurologic conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS).
46% of MS patients
have symptoms that may suggest PBA, according to a survey of 1215 MS patients (or their caregivers).*
*Brooks BR et al. PRISM: A Novel Research Tool to assess the Prevalence of Pseudobulbar Affect Symptoms across Neurological Conditions. 2013. PLOS ONE 8(8): e72232.
Get to know Connie
Connie is a patient living with MS and PBA.
Connie was diagnosed with MS in 2003 and around that time, she also started to experience episodes of uncontrollable laughing and crying. Those episodes impacted her interactions with friends, family, even co-workers.
Connie worked in a laboratory as a microbiologist, and there were certain situations that could cause an episode. “Having one of my experiments fail would trigger an uncontrollable crying episode,” Connie said. She felt her boss and work colleagues weren’t very sympathetic to what she was going through.
She also experienced laughing episodes, including one that disrupted the funeral of a family member. Connie recalled, “I remember I was at my great aunt’s funeral, and I had a laughing episode. Through the whole eulogy, I was trying to get it under control, and I just couldn’t.”
As a PBA Ambassador, Connie wants to help spread awareness of the condition, so more people talk about their episodes with their healthcare providers. “PBA is misunderstood, and it’s something that doesn’t need to be.”
PBA is misunderstood, and it’s something that doesn’t need to be.
Connie is a real patient and has been compensated.
Take the PBA Quiz
Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with MS and are now experiencing uncontrollable crying and/or laughing episodes? Take the PBA Quiz and share the results with your healthcare provider.
The PBA Quiz is based on the Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS). This assessment 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. The PBA Quiz is not a diagnostic tool and is not intended to substitute professional medical assessment and/or advice. Only a healthcare provider can diagnosis PBA.