Pseudobulbar laughter as a levodopa off phenomenon exacerbated by subthalamic deep brain stimulation.

Pseudobulbar affect is a common symptom in neurodegenerative diseases and can also result from lesions in cortical, subcortical and brainstem regions. In Parkinson's disease (PD), pseudobulbar affect (PBA) can occur as a wearing off phenomenon, manifested usually as crying without emotionality. In addition, subthalamic (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been reported to induce PBA in PD patients with no prior history of such episodes.