The physiology of laughter: Understanding laughter-related structures from brain lesions

Abstract

Laughter behavior is an important interaction and communication tool in humans, whose social characteristics are the most developed. Laughter is also thought to have important contributions to health. The brain stem plays an important role in the laughing behavior, which emerges as an intellectual function of the brain, as well as the broca’s area, motor cortex, basal nuclei and anterior cingulate cortex and other limbic system structures. Interestingly, the relationship of these regions with laughter has often been described in studies related to brain lesions. In our article, the brain regions related to laughing and the effects of laughter on health are discussed. The characterization of the brain regions related to laughter is based on the findings of the lesion examination studies in these areas. In this way, inferences about the physiological regulation of laughter from pathophysiological changes are aimed.