Academic Journal
The neural basis of laughter.
| Τίτλος: | The neural basis of laughter. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Caruana F; Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Parma, Italy. Electronic address: fausto.caruana@in.cnr.it., Scott SK; Department of Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ. |
| Πηγή: | Trends in neurosciences [Trends Neurosci] 2026 Jul; Vol. 49 (7), pp. 536-550. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 23. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Review |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Elsevier Applied Science Publishing Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 7808616 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1878-108X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01662236 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Trends Neurosci Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: Barking : Elsevier Applied Science Publishing Original Publication: Amsterdam, New York, Elsevier/North-Holland Biomedical Press. |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Laughter*/physiology , Brain*/physiology, Neural Pathways/physiology ; Humans ; Animals ; Social Behavior |
| Περίληψη: | Laughter is a universal social signal and a defining clinical sign of various neurological disorders. Yet, its neural orchestration remains elusive, due in part to the challenge of reproducing its spontaneous nature in the laboratory. In this review, we showcase how recent invasive investigations-from direct electrical stimulation to intracranial recordings-unveil the underlying circuitry. We propose a dual-system framework: an evolutionarily ancient cingulo-temporal network that acts as the gateway for spontaneous, involuntary outbursts; and a lateral motor-opercular system that co-opts speech-production networks for volitional, conversational laughter. This neuroethological perspective reveals how parallel cortico-subcortical pathways drive laughter as both a primal affective signal and a sophisticated communicative tool, offering a new roadmap for understanding human social bonding and its clinical disruptions. (Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: anterior cingulate cortex; basal ganglia; direct electrical stimulation; gelastic seizures; pain modulation; social behavior |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260623 Date Completed: 20260715 Latest Revision: 20260715 |
| Update Code: | 20260716 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.tins.2026.05.002 |
| PMID: | 42336722 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1878-108X |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.tins.2026.05.002 |