Pathways and neuroanatomical correlates of symptomatic (pathological), normal (emotional) and voluntarily caused laughter (review of foreign literature)

Using classical methods of neurology, areas of the brain associated with symptomatic (pathological) laughter were identified and cataloged according to other diagnostic signs and symptoms of such conditions as epilepsy, strokes and brain lesions detected as a result of the examination. These observations were supplemented by new studies using modern non-invasive methods. The review also discussed recent studies on issues related to “normal laughter” and also formulated the structure of neural correlates of laughter and humor based on studies of laboratory animals, neurological patients and normal subjects, which were discussed in this work.