Acute pathological laughter

✍ Scribed by Darin T. Okuda; Abraham S.C. Chyung; Cynthia T. Chin; Emmanuelle Waubant

• Book ID: 102506912
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 80 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-3185
• DOI: 10.1002/mds.20607

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Pseudobulbar affect is a condition characterized by uncontrollable episodes of inappropriate laughing or crying that are disproportionate and discordant to the situation at hand. We report on a 16‐year‐old woman presenting with acute pathological laughter in the context of CNS demyelinating disease. Brain MRI scans fortuitously obtained before and after the onset of this symptom demonstrated acute gadolinium‐enhancing lesions in the cerebral peduncles. The etiology of this condition remains theoretical; however, the results here provide further insights into the pathways of emotional control. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society