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news.Biopharmaceutical company Avanir Pharmaceuticals has entered into a research collaboration agreement with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and United BioSource (UBC) for screening pseudobulbar affect (PBA) symptoms in veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) .
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Avanir said PBA occurs when a TBI or other neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, stroke or Alzheimer’s disease, damages the areas of the brain that controls normal emotional expression and causes uncontrollable episodes of crying or laughing.
The partnership aims to initiate a PBA pilot study for 1,000 patients, send a screening questionnaire to patients within the VA system and perform analysis of the patients’ charts for those with a screening score that is indicative of the presence of PBA symptoms.
The partnership will also gain a deeper understanding of the prevalence of PBA symptoms in veterans suffering from TBI, as well as the prevalence of comorbid mood or behavioral disorders.
Avanir Pharmaceuticals chief medical officer Randall Kaye said, "This is the first study prospectively assessing PBA symptoms in veterans with TBI."