Anomalous Hypothalamic Responses to Humor in Cataplexy

Allan L. Reiss; Fumiko Hoeft; Adam S. Tenforde; Wynne Chen; Dean Mobbs; Emmanuel J. Mignot

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002225

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Anomalous Hypothalamic Responses to Humor in Cataplexy

Allan L. Reiss ,

* E-mail: reiss@stanford.edu

Affiliation Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research (CIBSR), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
⨯
Fumiko Hoeft,

Affiliation Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research (CIBSR), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Adam S. Tenforde,

Affiliation Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research (CIBSR), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Wynne Chen,

Affiliation Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Narcolepsy, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
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Dean Mobbs,

Affiliations Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research (CIBSR), Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America, MRC-Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom
⨯
Emmanuel J. Mignot

Affiliation Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Center for Narcolepsy, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
⨯

Anomalous Hypothalamic Responses to Humor in Cataplexy

Allan L. Reiss,
Fumiko Hoeft,
Adam S. Tenforde,
Wynne Chen,
Dean Mobbs,
Emmanuel J. Mignot

Published: May 21, 2008
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0002225

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Shutting Down to Avoid Shutting Off -- Ernest Greene, Academic Editor

Posted by egreene on 21 May 2008 at 17:56 GMT

Some patients with narcolepsy also suffer symptoms of cataplexy, wherein strong emotions trigger a transient seizure. The present study examined regional changes in fMRI images of the brain while cataplexy patients viewed and rated humorous cartoons that had the potential to elicit these symptoms. Overall the results suggest that these patients actively suppressed their emotional responses, and also (or thus) judged the cartoons to be less humorous than did control subjects. It seems likely that they were avoiding emotional responding that might lead to seizure.

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Anomalous Hypothalamic Responses to Humor in Cataplexy

Anomalous Hypothalamic Responses to Humor in Cataplexy

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Shutting Down to Avoid Shutting Off -- Ernest Greene, Academic Editor

Posted by egreene on 21 May 2008 at 17:56 GMT