Question

Which one of the following is NOT true regarding Pseudobulbar palsy?

• A. Emotional incontinence
• B. Exaggerated jaw jerk
• C. Dysarthria
• D. Flaccid tongue

Hint:

Pseudobulbar palsy is an upper motor neuron disorder, so its tongue should be spastic, not flaccid.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
We need to find which one of the four listed features is NOT actually true of pseudobulbar palsy.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Pseudobulbar palsy results from bilateral upper motor neuron damage to the corticobulbar tracts supplying the lower cranial nerve nuclei, so its features should reflect an upper motor neuron pattern, not a lower motor neuron one.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Emotional incontinence, meaning uncontrollable, exaggerated crying or laughing that doesn't match the person's actual mood, is a well recognized and true feature of pseudobulbar palsy, resulting from loss of cortical control over emotional expression.
An exaggerated jaw jerk is a true upper motor neuron sign seen in pseudobulbar palsy, since bilateral corticobulbar damage releases the brainstem reflex arc from its normal cortical inhibition, making the reflex brisk.
Dysarthria, or slurred, indistinct speech, is also a true and common feature of pseudobulbar palsy, caused by spastic weakness of the tongue, lips, and palate muscles.
A flaccid tongue, however, is a lower motor neuron sign, seen in true bulbar palsy where the actual cranial nerve nuclei or nerves are damaged, causing wasting and weakness of the tongue. In pseudobulbar palsy, since the lower motor neuron itself is intact and only the upper motor neuron input is lost, the tongue is typically spastic and stiff, not flaccid, making a flaccid tongue an incorrect, NOT true feature of pseudobulbar palsy.

Step 4: Final Answer:
So the feature that is NOT true of pseudobulbar palsy is a flaccid tongue, since pseudobulbar palsy is an upper motor neuron disorder and produces a spastic, not flaccid, tongue.