Periodic laugh / tears. What can be the cause?

My son exhibits this behavior several times a week: he starts laughing with no apparent reason, it looks like some sort of euphoria laugh as if he took drugs. Then after 20 minutes he bursts into tears and keeps doing that for like another 20 minutes. We consulted about this behavior with our local doctors but all they say something like "Well, what did you want? He has autism." For some reason, it seems to me that there could be other causes for that behavior though. Has anyone experienced something like that?

Parents
  • There is a condition that this reminds me of, and according to the mayoclinic they describe it as "Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a condition that's characterized by episodes of sudden uncontrollable and inappropriate laughing or crying. Pseudobulbar affect typically occurs in people with certain neurological conditions or injuries, which might affect the way the brain controls emotion." 

     

Reply
  • There is a condition that this reminds me of, and according to the mayoclinic they describe it as "Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a condition that's characterized by episodes of sudden uncontrollable and inappropriate laughing or crying. Pseudobulbar affect typically occurs in people with certain neurological conditions or injuries, which might affect the way the brain controls emotion." 

     

Children
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