A Case of Gelastic Epilepsy, probable Orbito-frontal Origin

ABSTRACT

Laughter as an epileptic phenomenon is very uncommon. The introduction of the term gelastic epilepsy by Daly and Mulder (1957) may have resulted in less precision in diagnosis. Laughter does not necessarily include Mirth (gelos). Smiling may be volumtary or barely perceptible, whereas the laryngeal and respiratory components of laughter are more likely to be involuntary and are definite. To this time the loction of this epilepsy is said to be related with temporal lobe and hypothalamus. This case which we present with reviewing of the literature has paroxysmally a burst of loud, high-pitched laughter without any emotional expression. It suggests that at the production of this laughter some fasciorespiratory pathways might be involved, and that the start of this epileptic discharge is probably from a lesion of the orbito-frontal area.