Laughing has numerous benefits for our health, both physical and mental. So much so, that it is even used as a therapeutic resource. We associate laughter with pleasant emotions, good times, fun, etc. However, it is possible that at some point laughter could have played tricks on you. Have you ever had an attack of uncontrollable laughter in some inappropriate context? If it has happened to you, you will easily identify the shame that comes with it.
Now, there are pathologies that cause uncontrollable attacks of laughter, which can also appear in inappropriate contexts. It is possible that if you have seen the movie “Jocker” you will identify this problem. Do you want to know what’s behind these fits of laughter? Continue reading this Psychology-Online article in which we discuss the topic of Laughter disease: symptoms, causes and treatment.
What is the name of the disease of uncontrollable laughter?
As we noted in the introduction, it is very possible that at some point we have all experienced fits of laughter. Far from the satisfaction and benefits of it, laughter attacks can become pathological when they appear in the context of some medical conditions. When we talk about laughing disease we may be referring to:
- The pseudobulbar condition or emotional labilitywhich can appear in some diseases.
- The gelastic epileptic seizures which also cause uncontrollable fits of laughter.
Pseudobulbar condition
Patients with pseudobulbar disease show uncontrollable expressions of laughter and/or crying that, in addition, they cannot control. These are patients who show that, following the definition of the psychological dictionary of the American Psychiatric Association, affective lability consists of a highly variable affect in which sudden changes occur.
The results of the study by Quarracino, C. et al (2014) indicate that it is more common to find the crying condition and the combined condition of laughter and crying and less frequently the only condition of laughter.
Gelastic epileptic seizures
In the case of gelastic crises, patients show attacks of uncontrolled laughter and, although the appearance may be confusing, it is an epileptic seizure. However, we must point out that this is not a very common problem. In this article we talk about the.
Following Islas García, D. et al. (2020), at first gelastic crises are characterized by spontaneous, uncontrollable and explosive episodes of laughter. Older patients report feeling epigastric discomfort and a need to laugh that cannot be suppressed.
These crises occur in a milder form in patients who do not show cognitive impairment or behavioral alterations; and they are more serious in those cases in which the crises appear earlier and lead to cognitive deterioration.
Causes of pathological laughter
The causes of pathological laughter may be due to pseudobulbar affection or gelastic crisis. Let’s see the causes in each case:
Causes of pseudobulbar condition
There does not seem to be a consensus regarding the pathophysiological causes of the pseudobulbar condition, although hypotheses related to the location of the lesion or the premorbid condition of the patients have been established.
Regarding the location of the injuryfollowing the publication by Quarracino, C. et al., (2014), pseudobulbar affection has been related to subcortical and frontal alterations, temporal lobes and even cerebellar involvement.
The same publication finds a greater frequency in diseases in which the pyramidal and/or extrapyramidal pathway is affected.
Causes of gelastic crisis
Epileptic seizures can be caused by multiple factors, from genetic factors to brain injuries acquired. Specifically, gelastic crises are associated with hypothalamic hamartomas. It is a subcortical brain structure that, in addition to being related to appetite, thirst, sleep or sexuality, is also involved in the control of autonomous and/or involuntary activity. On the other hand, a hamartoma refers to a malformation.
Disorders associated with pathological laughter
What do patients with pathological laughter have? Following Quarracino, C. et al. (2014) the pseudobulbar condition frequently appears related to neurological diseases such as:
- The .
- Multiple sclerosis.
- The stroke.
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
- Epilepsy. In the case of gelastic seizures, as we have already pointed out, the disease that underlies uncontrollable laughing attacks is epileptic seizures.
Laughter disease treatment
The treatment of pathological laughter will also vary from the disorder or disease that causes it.
Treatment of pseudobulbar condition
Pseudobulbar condition is treated by pharmacological therapy:
- Dextromethorphan and quinidine.
- such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
This therapy can be complemented with psychological therapywhich must deal with all the associated symptoms that may arise in the case, from the management of negative emotions (such as shame) to the anxious-depressive symptoms that may be present.
The disease can become disabling. If the patient cannot control his emotional outbursts, he may, for example, begin to avoid going to places where there are large numbers of people, going to work, etc. Therefore, psychological and social support will be essential for the treatment of these patients.
Treatment of gelastic epileptic seizures
Medical treatment may consist of pharmacological therapy, surgical intervention and/or radiotherapy.
Depending on the case, the psychological therapy It will be aimed at accompaniment in the intervention process, at the control and management of behavioral problems, at possible anxiety-depressive symptoms that may arise and/or at the treatment of cognitive impairment that the patient may present.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Laughing disease: symptoms, causes and treatmentwe recommend that you enter our category.
References
- American Psychiatric Association (2020). APA Dictionary of Psychology. Retrieved from https://dictionary.apa.org
- Quarracino, C., Garreto, GS, Arakaki, T., Franco, A., González, L., Bohorquez Morera, N., Lepera, S., Silva, B., Garcea, O., Rey, RC and Rodríguez , GE (2014). Frequency of pseudobulbar disease in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke. Argentine Neurology, 6 (3): 142-148
- Islas García, D., Alderete Berzaba, J., Quiróz Serna, CV and Perera Canul, RN (2020). Gelastic crisis secondary to hypothalamic hamartoma. Medical Annals, 65 (3): 233-238
Bibliography
- Arias, M. (2011). Neurology of laughter and humor: pathological laughter and crying. Journal of Neurology, 53(7): 415-421.