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Related Experiment Videos

Pathologic laughing and crying treated with levodopa.

F Udaka, S Yamao, H Nagata

    Archives of Neurology
    |October 1, 1984
    PubMed
    Summary
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    Levodopa or amantadine hydrochloride effectively treated pathologic laughing and crying in some patients. Improvement correlated with less severe brain atrophy and dementia, suggesting a dopaminergic link.

    Area of Science:

    • Neurology
    • Neurochemistry

    Background:

    • Pathologic laughing and crying (PLC) is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary emotional expression.
    • The exact pathophysiology of PLC remains unclear, but dopaminergic dysfunction is suspected.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the efficacy of levodopa or amantadine hydrochloride in treating patients with pathologic laughing and/or crying.
    • To explore potential correlations between treatment response and neuroimaging findings or dementia severity.

    Main Methods:

    • Twenty-five patients diagnosed with pathologic laughing and/or crying were administered either levodopa or amantadine hydrochloride.
    • Computed tomographic (CT) scans were used to assess for cortical atrophy or periventricular lucency.
    • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured.

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    Main Results:

    • Marked improvement in laughing and/or crying was observed in ten patients.
    • Patients showing improvement generally had no significant cortical atrophy or periventricular lucency on CT scans.
    • CSF homovanillic acid levels were significantly decreased in patients who improved, while 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels remained normal.

    Conclusions:

    • The findings suggest that dopaminergic neuron dysfunction may contribute to pathologic laughing and crying.
    • Levodopa or amantadine hydrochloride represents a potential therapeutic option for this condition, particularly in patients without severe neurological damage.