4. 7 ORGANIC EMOTIONALLY LABILE (ASTHENIC) DISORDER
This disorder is characterized by
marked and persistent emotional incontinence or lability, fatigability, or
a variety of unpleasant physical sensations and pains regarded as being
due to the presence of an organic disorder (World Health Organization, 1992). However, this
association of emotional lability with fatigability and physical
sensations is not well recognized (Kopelman and Fleminger, 2002)
Emotional lability is a common
complication of stroke patients. It is characterized by sudden, easily
provoked episodes of crying that generally occur in appropriate situations
and are accompanied by a congruent mood change. Pathological laughing and
crying is a more severe form of emotional lability and is characterized by
episodes of laughing and/or crying that are not appropriate to the context
(Robinston and Starkstein, 2002). Pathological Laughter and Crying Scale
(Robinson et al., 1993) is a reliable and valid instrument to assess the
existence and severity of emotional lability. Nortriptyline (Robinson et
al., 1993) and citalopram (Andersen et al., 1993) have been found
effective in treating the condition. |
