Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA)

Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA), also known as emotional incontinence, is an emotional disturbance catalyst that causes episodes of extreme or inappropriate emotional behavior or situationally incongruent emotional behavior: crying for no apparent reason, episodes of inappropriate laughter, rapid vacillation between moods, etc.

This is the result of neurological disorder, e.g. traumatic brain injury, stroke or many others, or brain injuries, but should not be mistaken for the emotional liability that is seen in some personality disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder. Treatment with antidepressants is sometimes effective in the treatment of PBA.