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Pathological crying and laughing: treatment with sertraline
J Mukand1, M Kaplan, R G Senno
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern New England Rehabilitation Center, Providence, RI 02907, USA.
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|December 1, 1996
Summary
Sertraline effectively treated pathological laughing and crying in two stroke patients, improving their emotional regulation and participation in rehabilitation. Both patients tolerated the medication well with no adverse effects.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Pathological laughing and crying (PLC) is a common post-stroke emotional disorder.
- Labile affect significantly interferes with stroke rehabilitation and quality of life.
Observation:
- A case series involving two male stroke patients with severe post-stroke emotional lability.
- Patients experienced significant interference with rehabilitation due to uncontrollable laughing and crying.
Findings:
- Sertraline treatment led to significant improvements in both patients, as evidenced by reduced PLC symptoms and enhanced functional independence.
- Improvements were noted in sleep, appetite, social engagement, and therapy adherence.
- Patients tolerated sertraline well, with no reported significant side effects.
Implications:
- Sertraline may be an effective treatment option for pathological laughing and crying post-stroke.
- Further research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these findings.
- Addressing emotional lability can improve overall stroke recovery and rehabilitation outcomes.
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