Story perspectives

Brain Stimulation Sparks Spontaneous Laughter, Boosts Mood

6/25/2026

Summary

Story summary

Fausto Caruana of National Research Council reported that spontaneous laughter uses brain networks different from voluntary laughter.
Electrical stimulation at Niguarda Hospital in Milan triggered laughter, and stimulation of the anterior cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens raised mood, whereas motor-zone stimulation caused voluntary laughter without mood change.
The authors suggested spontaneous laughter reflects a mammalian pathway linked to pain regulation, and published the study in Trends in Neuroscience on 2026-06-23.

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Story summary

Fausto Caruana of National Research Council reported that spontaneous laughter uses brain networks different from voluntary laughter.
Electrical stimulation at Niguarda Hospital in Milan triggered laughter, and stimulation of the anterior cingulate cortex and nucleus accumbens raised mood, whereas motor-zone stimulation caused voluntary laughter without mood change.
The authors suggested spontaneous laughter reflects a mammalian pathway linked to pain regulation, and published the study in Trends in Neuroscience on 2026-06-23.