Overview
- The Trends in Neurosciences review by Fausto Caruana and Sophie K. Scott, published June 23, 2026, assembles awake intracranial stimulation reports and animal studies into a formal dual‑network model for laughter.
- One network is deep and emotional, centered on the pregenual anterior cingulate, nucleus accumbens, and temporal pole, and stimulation there produces intense mirth and mood lift.
- A separate lateral motor network, involving the rolandic operculum, globus pallidus, and presupplementary motor area, drives voluntary, conversational laughing movements without positive emotion.
- The authors highlight that intracranial stimulation in awake epilepsy patients gives causal links between small brain sites and reported feelings but note limits from small, opportunistic samples and uneven site coverage.
- The review frames testable ideas about laughter’s evolutionary roots in mammal play, its possible role in social bonding and analgesia, and next steps for targeted experiments and clinical studies.