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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Taking blood pressure -- no laughing matter!

BACKGROUND: Humour is used commonly to relax subjects when their blood pressure is being measured. However the short-term effect of laughter on blood pressure is not described. METHODS: Sixteen normotensive volunteers had blood pressure measured using a validated automated oscillometric sphygmomanometric device (Omron 705 CP) as control and during three episodes of laughter while viewing a humorous sit-com video. RESULTS: Blood pressure was stable in the control period. There was a significant rise (P<0.01) in systolic blood pressure from 115 mmHg (108-121, mean 95% confidence interval) to 127 mmHg (120-135) during laughing. The increase in diastolic pressure 71 (67-74) to 73 (69-77) mmHg was not significant. CONCLUSION: Laughing has an acute effect on systolic blood pressure. Patients should not be encouraged to laugh when their blood pressure is being measured.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Humor in medicine.

Humor and laughter have been a focus of attention in the popular media and in the medical literature. Despite statements about the health benefits of humor, current research is insufficient to validate such claims. There is support in the literature for the role of humor and laughter in other areas, including patient-physician communication, psychological aspects of patient care, medical education, and as a means of reducing stress in medical professionals.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1995

Treatment of enuresis risoria in children by self-administered electric and imaginary shock.

OBJECTIVE: To treat enuresis risoria (giggle micturition) by a self-administered electric and imaginary shock and to evaluate the outcome after behavioural therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Six boys and three girls with enuresis risoria were evaluated and treated. The mean age at referral was 10.4 years (range 5.7-14.2). All children had episodes of involuntary complete bladder emptying triggered by hearty laughter or giggling. The frequency ranged from four times per day to twice a week. No other voiding problems were noted. Five patients (four boys and one girl, mean age 10.2 years, range 5.7-14.2) received conditioning training which consisted largely of the self-administration of a harmless, painless electric shock to the back of one hand, at the moment when micturition was induced by laughter, leading to inhibition of the voiding reflex. Later, the electric shock was replaced by an imaginary shock. Training was undertaken on an outpatient basis. A mean of eight sessions, each of 45 min duration, was necessary to train the children. The mean follow-up was 26 months (range 12-51). RESULTS: The frequency of wetting was reduced by a mean of 89% in all children 1 year after the successful completion of the training. In three children, followed for 2 years, this result stabilized at that proportion. One of these children, followed for > 3 years, gradually reverted to the original pattern of daily wetting and another patient, with a follow-up of > 4 years, maintained an 86% reduction of wetting incidents. CONCLUSION: Until now, there was no specific treatment for enuresis risoria and not all patients outgrow the problem; this experimental conditioning programme shows promise in diminishing wetting incidents. However, the programme needs further testing in a prospective study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

"Fou rire prodromique" heralding a brainstem stroke.

A patient manifested pathological laughter heralding the onset of brainstem stroke leading to a "locked-in" state. The pathological laughter did not recur. MRI revealed a bilateral ventral pontine infarct. The clinico-anatomical correlations of this rare phenomenon of fou rire prodromique are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Fou rire prodromique heralding a left internal carotid artery occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Four rire prodromique, described as pathological laughter preceding the onset of an apoplectic attack, is a rare phenomenon. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 61-year-old man manifested pathological laughter before a sudden right hemiplegia. MRI showed a left lenticular and caudate nucleus infarct with involvement of the external capsule and prerolandic area. MRA revealed a left internal carotid and middle cerebral artery occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: The clinicoanatomic correlates of this phenomenon are discussed.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
PubMed1998

Rapid response of emotional incontinence to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Emotional incontinence (EI) is a perturbing condition characterized by uncontrollable outbursts of exaggerated, involuntary facial expressions and pathological crying or laughter. There is increasing evidence that serotonergic neurotransmission may be damaged in EI. The authors report 4 pathological crying cases (3 poststroke and 1 with multiple sclerosis) and 1 case of pathological laughter after traumatic brain injury. EI improved dramatically with three different selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine, sertraline, and paroxetine) in the context of these different CNS diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Diminished facial expression despite the existence of pleasant emotional experience in schizophrenia.

In order to investigate the relationship between pleasant emotional experience and facial expression (i.e., laughter), mood before and after watching comic film clips, self-rated pleasant emotional experience for each film clip and electromyographic activities of facial muscles involved in laughter while watching film clips were measured for 25 patients with schizophrenia and 20 normal controls. Patients with schizophrenia who showed a significant correlation between self-rated emotional experience and major zygomatic activity were equivalent to normal controls in self-rated emotional experience and in mood after film clips; they had a significant increase in mood scores related with pleasure. Although these patients were thought to have sufficient pleasant emotional experience, they showed significantly low major zygomatic activity as compared to normal controls. It is suggested that these patients have a disturbance in the process of emotional expression rather than emotional experience.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A comparative acoustic analysis of the Laugh responses of 20- and 70-year-old males.

Several studies have documented age-related changes in speech or voice characteristics, but no study has reported differences across age groups in human laughter. The purpose of this investigation was to identify, describe, and compare the measurements of five acoustic correlates of elicited, spontaneous laughter in twenty- and seventy-year-old males. Five acoustic characteristics of laugh responses including Initial Laugh Fundamental Frequency (ILFo), Mean Laugh Fundamental Frequency (MLFo), Peak Laugh Fundamental Frequency (PLFo), Duration Laugh Response (DLR), and Laugh Bursts (LB) as well as Speech Fundamental Frequency (SFF) were analyzed across groups. Statistically significant differences were found between twenty- and seventy-year-old males in ILFo, MLFo, PLFo, and in the number of laughs per minute. Older respondents produced a relatively compressed fundamental frequency range of laugh behavior and fewer laugh responses per minute. These differences are congruent with age-related changes in speech and voice but also might be explained by other physiological or sociological variables.

Acoustics↗
PubMed1992

Humor's healing potential.

In the past three decades the medical world has begun to take more serious notice of the healing power of humor and the positive emotions associated with it. Humor and laughter are currently being employed by psychotherapists and other care givers as tools to promote and maintain health, as well as intervention and rehabilitation tools for a host of maladies and illnesses related to stress and life-style. Although this empirical medical approach is relatively new, the study of humor has revealed a complex psychological phenomenon. Senses of humor have been categorized in types associated with personality. Humor has many styles and can be found in almost any situation, on any occasion. Theories of humor include the superiority theory, the incongruity theory, the release/relief theory, and the divinity theory. Laughter has many clinical benefits, promoting beneficial physiological changes and an overall sense of well-being. Humor even has long-term effects that strengthen the effectiveness of the immune system. In healthcare, humor therapy can help relieve stress associated with disease and illness. It serves as a diversionary tactic, a therapeutic tool for disorders such as depression, and a coping mechanism. It also is a natural healing component for care givers trying to cope with the stress and personal demands of their occupations.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

[Precocious puberty and laugh attacks].

A 7 year old girl presented with precocious puberty and ictal laughter. Brief, repetitive, stereotyped attacks of laughter were the first manifestation of the epileptic syndrome. Stages of puberty were noted as B III-IV and PH II according to Tanner. X-rays showed a bone age of 11 years and the weight increased from the 50th beyond 97th percentile. Plasma concentrations of LH, FSH, testosterone and Ostradiol were elevated. The CT scan was normal and a magnetic resonance imaging showed an hypothalamic hamartoma. The control of the seizures control and social adjustment were poor. MR scanning 3 years later showed no change in the size of the lesion.

Cerebral Cortex↗
PubMedDate not supplied

"Enuresis risoria": evaluation and management.

"Enuresis risoria" or "giggle incontinence" is a particular condition characterized by a sudden, involuntary, uncontrollable and complete emptying of the bladder during giggling or hearty laughter. We had under observation a 15-year-old girl affected by this condition. The tests she underwent did not reveal anatomic or functional alterations. We were able to control her symptoms with Imipramine. We can thus assume that laughter reacts as a trigger that activates micturition reflex through the intermediation of the limbic system.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The use of humor in intravenous nursing.

Providing a daily dose of laughter is often the best medicine we can offer our patients, their caregivers and, most importantly, ourselves. Humor creates an environment of healing, which is essential when treating a patient on a daily basis. In this article, the author describes the many uses of humor in intravenous nursing practice and offers suggestions about how humor and laughter can be incorporated into patient care routines.

Health Facility Environment↗
PubMed1994

Older patient satisfaction with communication during an initial medical encounter.

There has been extensive research on the factors associated with patient satisfaction with communication during medical encounters, however, little attention has been paid to satisfaction among subgroups of patients, including the elderly. It is inappropriate to assume that all patients have the same physician-patient relationship needs, and thus, they will all be satisfied with the same communication approaches during medical visits. In this study, we examine the interactional correlates of older patient satisfaction with an initial visit with a general internist. A multidisciplinary team composed of social scientists and physicians used the Multi-dimensional Interaction Analysis system to code audiotapes. Patients and physicians completed post-visit satisfaction questionnaires. Older patient satisfaction was positively correlated with the following variables: physician questioning and supportiveness on patient-raised topics; patient information-giving on patient-raised topics; the length of the visit; the physician's use of questions worded in the negative; shared laughter between the physician and the patient; and physician satisfaction. These findings suggest that older patients prefer encounters in which: (1) there is physician supportiveness and shared laughter; (2) they are questioned about and given an opportunity to provide information on their own agenda items; and (3) physicians provide some structure for the first meeting through their use of questions worded in the negative. The authors caution that although this sample of older patients appears to be satisfied with a communication style usually considered characteristic of the traditional model of the physician-patient relationship (i.e. a warm interpersonal style and physician-generated structure for the visit), older patients in other settings and future cohorts of elderly patients may prefer other communication approaches. It is also suggested that aspects of communication which provide satisfaction to patients in first visits may be different than aspects of communication associated with patient satisfaction in follow-up visits.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Gelastic syncope mistaken for cataplexy.

Laughter is a complex human behavior that has an emotional and a physical component. We present a patient who suffered syncope as a result of intense laughter, and hypothesize that this is analogous to other types of Valsalva-induced syncope. We emphasize the clinical characteristics that differentiate gelastic syncope from cataplexy.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

More than trivial: strategies for using humor in palliative care.

Humor and laughter are ubiquitous in human interactions. Terminal illness, however, is often accompanied by circumstances of anxiety, fear, and sadness. Hospice/palliative care emphasizes quality of life and the importance of human relationships. In this context, humor finds its place in authentic person-to-person connectedness. This article presents findings from a clinical ethnography that investigated the phenomena of humor and laughter in an inpatient palliative care unit. As a participant observer, the lead author accompanied 6 nurses throughout their day-to-day activities, twice weekly over 12 weeks. In addition to more than 200 hours of fieldwork, informal conversations were held with patients and families and semistructured interviews were conducted with nurses (n = 11), physicians (n = 2), a social worker (n = 1), and a physiotherapist (n = 1). Humor was pervasive, varied in the setting, and occurred across a range of intensities. Both clients and team members used humor to build relationships, contend with circumstances, and express sensibilities. Humor was affected by differences in people, differing circumstances, ethnicity, gender, and degree of stress. Participants relied on intuition as well as a constellation of other factors in discerning whether or not to use humor. Techniques for assessment included identification of cues such as expression in the eyes and timing as indications of receptivity. Combined with caring and sensitivity, humor is a powerful therapeutic asset in hospice/palliative care. It must neither be taken for granted nor considered trivial.

Anthropology, Cultural↗
PubMed2004

A note on gelastic epilepsy.

Laughter epilepsy or gelastic seizures have been described in various epilepsies arising from the temporal or frontal lobes, but most commonly from hypothalamic hamartomata. Gelastic seizures also arise from temporal and frontal lobe tumours and atrophic lesions. The essential clinical features are: stereotyped recurrence; absence of external precipitants; concomitance of other manifestations generally accepted as epileptic; presence of interictal or interictal EEG epileptiform discharges, and absence of conditions in which pathological laughter might occur. The history and clinical significance are discussed.

Epilepsies, Partial↗
PubMed2000

Comparison of eye-movement patterns in schizophrenic and normal adults during examination of facial affect displays.

Patients with schizophrenia are known to have deficits in facial affect recognition. Subjects were 25 schizophrenic patients and 25 normal subjects who were shown pairs of slides of laughing faces and asked to compare the intensity of laughter in the two slides. Eye movements were recorded using an infrared scleral reflection technique. Normal subjects efficiently compared the same facial features in the two slides, examining the eyes and mouth, important areas for recognizing laughter, for a longer time than other regions of the face. Schizophrenic patients spent less time ex amining the eyes and mouth and often examined other regions of the face or areas other than the face. Similar results were obtained for the number of fixation points. That schizophrenic patients may have employed an inefficient strategy with few effective eye movements in facial comparison and recognition may help to explain the deficits in facial recognition observed in schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Can a machine tickle?

It has been observed at least since the time of Aristotle that people cannot tickle themselves, but the reason remains elusive. Two sorts of explanations have been suggested. The interpersonal explanation suggests that tickling is fundamentally interpersonal and thus requires another person as the source of the touch. The reflex explanation suggests that tickle simply requires an element of unpredictability or uncontrollability and is more like a reflex or some other stereotyped motor pattern. To test these explanations, we manipulated the perceived source of tickling. Thirty-five subjects were tickled twice--once by the experimenter, and once, they believed, by an automated machine. The reflex view predicts that our "tickle machine" should be as effective as a person in producing laughter, whereas the interpersonal view predicts significantly attenuated responses. Supporting the reflex view, subjects smiled, laughed, and wiggled just as often in response to the machine as to the experimenter. Self-reports of ticklishness were also virtually identical in the two conditions. Ticklish laughter evidently does not require that the stimulation be attributed to another person, as interpersonal accounts imply.

Adolescent↗