Normal and pathologic laughter in children.
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.
Nirenberg
S A
SA
Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology