Prevalence of pseudobulbar affect symptoms and clinical correlates in nursing home residents.

Objective: Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a neurological disorder of emotional expression, characterized by uncontrollable episodes of crying or laughing in patients with certain neurological disorders affecting the brain. The purposes of this study were to estimate the prevalence of PBA in US nursing home residents and examine the relationship between PBA symptoms and other clinical correlates, including the use of psychopharmacological medications.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted between 2013 and 2014 with a convenience sample of residents from nine Michigan nursing homes.