Laughter & The Brain

The doctors found that A.K. always laughed when they stimulated a small 2 cm by 2 cm area on her left superior frontal gyrus (part of the frontal lobe of the brain). This brain area is part of the supplementary motor area. Unlike laughter that happens after brain damage, the laughter that was produced by electrical stimulation in A.K. also had a sense of "merriment or mirth". Also, A.K. did NOT have the type of epilepsy with gelastic seizures. Each time her brain was stimulated, A.K. laughed and said that something was funny. The thing that she said caused her to laugh was different each time. A.K. laughed first, then made up a story that was funny to her. Most people first know what is funny, then they laugh.

The authors of the paper believe that the area of the brain that caused laughter in A.K. is part of a larger circuit involving several different brain areas. Different parts of the circuit may be important for:

1. the emotions produced by a funny situation (emotional part of humor)

2. the "getting it" part of a joke (cognitive, thinking part of humor)

3. moving the muscles of the face to smile (motor part of humor).

Everyone smiles and laughs. Even monkeys and apes have some facial expressions that are similar to human smiles. It is possible that smiling, laughing and tickling are used to create bonds between babies and parents. When a parent tickles a baby and the baby responds with a smile or laugh, the parent laughs and smiles too. In this way, the baby and parent get to know one another and the baby learns all about laughter by watching and responding to a parent. What a happy way to learn.

The physiological study of laughter has its own name: "gelotology." Research has shown that laughing is more than just a person's voice and movement. Laughter requires the coordination of many muscles throughout the body. Laughter also:

1. increases blood pressure

2. increases heart rate

3. changes breathing

4. reduces levels of certain neurochemicals (catecholamines, hormones).

5. provides a boost to the immune system.

Can laughter improve health? It may be a good way for people to relax because muscle tension is reduced after laughing. There are some cases when a good deep laugh may help people with respiratory problems by clearing mucus and aiding ventiliation. Perhaps laughing can also help cardiac patients by giving the heart a bit of a workout. Some hospitals even have their own "Humor Rooms," "Comedy Carts," and clown kids in attempts to speed a patient's recovery and boost morale.

However, laughter is NOT ALWAYS good medicine. There are a few cases when laughing actually CAUSED a heart attack or a stroke. Also, immediately after abdominal surgery, people should not laugh too hard because they could tear out their stitches accidentally. Care should also be used in patients with broken ribs. So, try not to be too funny around these people.

How laughter affects the nervous system and rest of the body is not completely understood. A new area of neuroscience called Psychoneuroimmunology" studies the interactions between the brain and the immune system. The field of psychoneuroimmunology combines the methods and techniques of psychology, neuroscience and immunology. Psychoneuroimmunological experiments usually focus on how stress affects the nervous system and disease states. Laughter has been shown to cause changes in the autonomic nervous system and also to alter stress hormone and neurotransmitter levels. For example, 60 min. of watching a video with the comedian "Gallagher" caused reductions in the levels of:

1. cortisol

2. growth hormone

3. catecholamines

Further research into how a positive attitude affects a person's health need to be done. This will give a whole new meaning to the phrase:




Off Shore Oil Drilling

Before you get excited about frilling off the coast of your state as we are in North Carolina, please take this into consideration. There is no law that states that the oil that’s drilled will be used for Americans only and it probably won’t. There is no guarantee that the state will get anything from the drilling except maybe an oil spill somewhere down the line. Oil companies and politicians are close friends, they have it all worked out and they worked it out to be in favor of the oil companies, not the country or the costal state where they’re going to build. Every politician in every costal state is saying the same thing, “I’m for drilling off my coast because it’s going to help my state.” That’s a lie. It’s not going to help anyone but the oil companies and the politicians and that’s it. The state and the country will probably never see a drop of oil or any tax money or any jobs created. All it will see is oil on their coast which will hurt wildlife and tourism and the oil companies won’t have to pay a dime. You will pay for the cleanup. Think about that before you vote for a politician who wants the oil companies to drill off their coast – like all the politicians in North Carolina want. They’re pulling the wool over our eyes while the oil companies are probably lining their pockets with green. Wake up America. If a politician says it’s a good idea, is it really a good idea for you and me, or is it a good idea for them and the oil companies? I can almost say with confidence that it’s not good for you and me or the country. I’m voting for the one who is for alternative fuel.