In a recent news release, Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif, reports that this it has collaborated with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and United BioSource Corporation (UBC) to launch a pilot study intended to screen for pseudobulbar affect (PBA) symptoms in 1,000 veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The number of service members who have sustained TBIs is reportedly estimated by the Bob Woodruff Foundation to total out to 320,000.
The study encompasses a screening questionnaire, which is being sent to 1,000 patients within the VA system in the Boston area who were identified as having sustained a TBI. Avanir Pharmaceuticals adds that the analysis of the patients’ charts will be performed for those with a screening score that is indicative of the presence of PBA symptoms.
The hope is that the medical community, the VA, Avanir, and UBC will gain a deeper understanding of the condition’s prevalence in veterans with TBI, Avanir states. Ultimately, the study’s findings are intended to provide information that can be used to develop a screening protocol to identify and treat PBA symptoms in an effort to improve quality of care for the nation’s veterans.
Randall Kaye, MD, chief medical officer, Avair Pharmaceuticals, emphasizes that, “This research will provide key insights including the estimated prevalence of PBA symptoms.”
PBA is a secondary condition resulting from TBI or other neurological condition, such multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, stroke, or Alzheimer’s disease. The condition causes uncontrollable episodes of crying or laughing, which are often contrary or exaggerated to the patient’s inner emotional state.
Source: Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc
