laughing

[Guest guest]

Laughing may be rewarding in terms of relationships12/31/2003The beneficial effect that laughter has on a person's wellbeing is nojoke, according to a new study that explains how humor influencesbrain activity.During the trial, the investigators issued the participants a seriesof comic strips, some of which that were meant to be funny and somethat omitted the funny cues. After reading a cartoon, the volunteerspressed on a button to signal whether they thought it was humorous.MRI scanning was used to demonstrate how humor affects brain activity.By observing the brain activity in someone who laughed while reading acomic strip, the investigators found that laughter activates a brainnetwork known to be associated with reward.According to lead study author Dr. Allan Reiss, "[Humor] oftendictates if, how and with whom we establish friendships and evenlong-lasting friendships."The researchers suggested that learning more about the brain'sresponse to humor might be useful in understanding depressivedisorders and gauging a patient's response to treatment fordepression, in which a common symptom is the inability to appreciatehumor. Additionally, humor has been shown to play a role in otherconditions, including the sleep disorder narcolepsy, they said."I believe that understanding humor is fundamental to understandingmany aspects of `normal' human social behavior," Dr. Reiss said. Henoted that people who lack a sense of humor might experience seriousproblems in their relationships."Perhaps they are missing this reward link in their circuitry," Dr.Reiss explained.A support group for people with ms & their friends & relations. We try & keep informed of developments in ms research & stay abreast of legislative issues that may effect us.