title: Normal and pathologic laughter in children.
abstract: Laughter is a partly involuntary act involving complex pathways in the central nervous system. Laughter normally has positive effects on emotions; however, pathologic laughter is not related to emotion and occurs independent of a stimulus in the environment. This paper outlines normal laughter and the etiology of pathologic laughter, considering both congenital and acquired causes.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Nirenberg
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology