Which part of your brain causes laughter?

Question

For years I couldn't laugh at all. Lately I've been doing "belly laughs)..laughing out loud..in a different way. What could have caused the change? (Don't say "better jokes")Is it a hormone ..or what?

Answer 1

I remember learning that the frontal lobes were responsible for emotions. In a pre-frontal labotomy they sever the connections between these lobes so that emotions are weakened significantly.

Answer 2

Several areas of the brain are involved in the complex response to humor.

I have provided you a link to an explanation (and to more links if you wish) below.

The more you know....

Psi

Answer 3

The doctors found that A.K. always laughed when they stimulated a small 2 cm by 2 cm area on her left superior frontal gyrus (part of the frontal lobe of the brain). This brain area is part of the supplementary motor area. Unlike laughter that happens after brain damage, the laughter that was produced by electrical stimulation in A.K. also had a sense of "merriment or mirth". Also, A.K. did NOT have the type of epilepsy with gelastic seizures. Each time her brain was stimulated, A.K. laughed and said that something was funny. The thing that she said caused her to laugh was different each time. A.K. laughed first, then made up a story that was funny to her. Most people first know what is funny, then they laugh.

The authors of the paper believe that the area of the brain that caused laughter in A.K. is part of a larger circuit involving several different brain areas. Different parts of the circuit may be important for:

the emotions produced by a funny situation (emotional part of humor)

the "getting it" part of a joke (cognitive, thinking part of humor)

moving the muscles of the face to smile (motor part of humor).

Other areas of the brain, such as the temporal lobe and hypothalamus, may also participate in laughter and humor.

Answer 4

Deenie, laughter is a complex response system. I doubt you will get your answer on here. Laughter can be triggered by extreme nervousness or discomfort, grief, or when something is just plain funny. It is an involuntary response that is prodded by stimuli to the brain and its comprehension skills. In babies they laugh when they feel joy, did you ever notice how some babies laugh then suddenly cry? That is because they do not have their response skills refined yet.  There are things like endorphines that will help with the synapses that will start the process and my hunch is that this is what you are referring to. People who take prozac are retraining the brain to have those synapses link up again, as through deep dispair one can "forget" or lose the ability to have these small electrical impulses respond properly, or correctly. So certain medications can help teach the brain to reconnect. (BTW, I am not insinuating that you are taking prozac) just thought of that as an example. Hope this helps .... and keep laughing, it is healthy for you!