Go ahead, Laugh!
Laughter is contagious. Research published in the Journal of Neuroscience last December has shown that positive sounds such as laughter triggers a response in the listener’s brain. This response occurs in the area of the brain that is activated when we smile, as though preparing our facial muscles to laugh. The research team played a series sounds to volunteers as they measured their brain’s response using an fMRI scanner. Sounds were positive, such as laughter or triumph, whilst others were unpleasant, such as screaming or retching. All of the sounds triggered a response in the volunteer’s brain in the pre-motor cortical region, which prepares the muscles in the face to respond accordingly, though the response was greater for positive sounds, suggesting that these were more contagious than negative sounds. The researchers believe this explains why we respond to laughter or cheering with an involuntary smile.
Last 5 posts by Dr. Theresa Lavoie
- Making Healthy Food Choices for the Holidays and All Year - November 29th, 2007
- Easy Non-Drug Strategies help Pre-Schoolers with ADHD - October 30th, 2007
- ADDA Regional Conference - October 8th, 2007
- Research Based Evidence that Exercise Improves Depression - September 25th, 2007
- Non-Medication Approaches for Preschool ADHD - August 24th, 2007