Short Description or Definition
The term “pseudobulbar palsy” is used to denote dysarthria and dysphagia caused by lesions of the upper motor neuron fibers in the corticobulbar pathways, as opposed to bulbar palsy, which is caused by lesions of the brainstem or lower motor neurons. The syndrome of pseudobulbar palsy can also be associated with pseudobulbar affect and sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably. Lesions of descending white matter pathways can produce abnormal pseudobulbar affect and can be observed in MS patients and other cortical syndromes. Patients with pseudobulbar affect exhibit bouts of crying or laughter that are not associated with underlying feelings of sadness or happiness. Pseudobulbar affect has also been termed pathological laughing or crying.
Epidemiology
The epidemiology of pseudobulbar palsy is dependent on the individual disease/disorder that causes the disruption to the...
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References and Readings
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Meadows, ME. (2011). Pseudobulbar Palsy. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_1394
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_1394
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
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