Pathological Crying

Question 1

Pathological crying

Answer 1

Pathological crying or laughing (aka ‘pseudobulbar affect’) is a condition characterised by sudden outbursts of crying in response to very minor stimuli without associated changes in mood.

Question 2

Treatment of pathological crying

Answer 2

The combination of dextromethorphan and quinidine has been shown to be effective in pseudobulbar affect. When asked to select the treatment for pathological crying post-stroke, citalopram is generally the correct answer on the college questions most likely due to the original article in the Lancet where it out performed tricyclic antidepressants. However the evidence suggests that tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline and nortriptyline, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline, paroxetine, fluoxetine, and citalopram are effective in treating pathological crying a stroke.