Laughter may be best medicine -- for brain surgery
Monday, February 4, 2019 - 17:30
in Health & Medicine
Neuroscientists have discovered a focal pathway in the brain that when electrically stimulated causes immediate laughter, followed by a sense of calm and happiness, even during awake brain surgery. The effects of stimulation were observed in an epilepsy patient undergoing diagnostic monitoring for seizure diagnosis. These effects were then harnessed to help her complete a separate awake brain surgery two days later, and then confirmed in two other patients.