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Neuroanatomy of Pathological Laughing and Crying: A Report of the American Neuropsychiatric Association Committee on Research

Received April 2, 2008; accepted April 29, 2008. Dr. Parvizi is affiliated with Neurology and Neurological Sciences at Stanford University; Drs. Coburn, Shillcutt, and Lauterbach are affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Ga.; Dr. Coffey is affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Mich.; Dr. Mendez is affiliated with the Department of Neurology at University of California, Los Angeles. Address correspondence to Josef Parvizi, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Neurology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Dr., Stanford, CA 94305; jparvizi{at}stanford.edu (e-mail).

ABSTRACT

Pathological laughing and crying (PLC) is a clinical condition that occurs in patients with various neurological disorders. It is characterized by the presence of episodic and contextually inappropriate or merely exaggerated outbursts of laughter and/or crying without commensurate feelings. This review provides an in depth analysis of the neuroanatomy of lesions seen in patients with this clinical condition, discusses the relevant functional neuroimaging and electrophysiological stimulation studies in human subjects, and summarizes the current treatment options. It concludes with a presentation of the remaining questions and directions for future research.

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