Labile affect or pseudobulbar affect refers to the pathological expression of laughter, crying, or smiling. CRY could mean Cryptochrome — A set of specific subset of blue light photo-receptors in plants/ Child Relief and You — a non-profit This article is about the facial expression For the typographical symbol see Smiley. It is also known as emotional lability, pathological laughter and crying, emotional incontinence, or, more recently, involuntary emotional expression disorder (IEED). ^[1] Patients may find themselves laughing uncontrollably at something that is only moderately funny, being unable to stop themselves for several minutes. Episodes may also be mood-incongruent: a patient might laugh uncontrollably when angry or frustrated, for example.

Labile affect is most commonly observed after brain injury or degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig disease), a form of motor neuron disease. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ( ALS, sometimes called Maladie de Charcot, or in the United States Lou Gehrig's Disease) is a progressive The motor neurone diseases (or motor neuron diseases) (MND are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy Motor neurones the cells that control voluntary It affects up to 50% of patients or up to 17,000 people, particularly those with pseudobulbar palsy. Pseudobulbar palsy is bilateral impairment of the function of the lower Cranial nerves 9 10 11 and 12 which control the muscles of eating swallowing and talking ^[2]It also occurs in approximately 10% of multiple sclerosis patients^[3], signalling a degree of cognitive impairment. Multiple sclerosis (abbreviated MS also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata) is an autoimmune condition in which the

While not as profoundly disabling as the physical symptoms of these diseases, labile affect can have a significant impact on individuals' social functioning and their relationships with others. In motor neuron disease, the majority of patients are cognitively normal; however, the appearance of uncontrollable emotions is commonly associated with learning disabilities. In the United States and Canada, the term learning disability (LD refers to a group of disorders that affect a broad range of academic and functional skills including This may lead to severe embarrassment and avoidance of social interactions for the patient, which in turn has an impact on their coping mechanisms and their careers.

Treatment for labile affect is usually pharmacological, using antidepressants such as fluoxetine, citalopram, or amitriptyline in low to moderate doses. An antidepressant is a Psychiatric medication used for alleviating major depression or Dysthymia ('milder' depression Citalopram is an Antidepressant drug used to treat major depression associated with Mood disorders It is also used on occasion in the treatment Amitriptyline (or Amitryptyline) hydrochloride (sold as Elavil Tryptanol Endep Elatrol Tryptizol Trepiline Laroxyl Saroten is a Tricyclic antidepressant In the USA, a combination of dextromethorphan and a subtherapeutic dose of quinidine has been submitted to the FDA for approval to treat emotional lability. Dextromethorphan ( DXM or DM) is an Antitussive (cough suppressant drug found in many over-the-counter cold and Cough medicines Quinidine is a Pharmaceutical agent that acts as a Class I antiarrhythmic agent in the Heart. ^[2]

See also

• Affect (psychology)
• Affect display

References

1. ^ Cummings J, Arciniegas D, Brooks B, Herndon R, Lauterbach E, Pioro E, Robinson R, Scharre D, Schiffer R, Weintraub D (2006). Affect, like the adjective affective, refers to the experience of feeling or Emotion. See also Emotion In Psychology, affect display or affective display is a subject's externally displayed affect. "Defining and diagnosing involuntary emotional expression disorder. ". CNS Spectr 11 (6): 1–7. PMID 16816786.  
2. ^ ^{a b} Brooks BR, Thisted RA, Appel SH, et al (2004). "Treatment of pseudobulbar affect in ALS with dextromethorphan/quinidine: a randomized trial". Neurology 63 (8): 1364–70. PMID 15505150.  
3. ^ de Seze J, Zephir H, Hautecoeur P, Mackowiak A, Cabaret M, Vermersch P (2006). "Pathologic laughing and intractable hiccups can occur early in multiple sclerosis". Neurology 67 (9): 1684–6. doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000242625.75753.69. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document. PMID 17101907.