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Effectiveness of laughter therapy in cognitive skills improvements
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Background: In today's society, a huge population is facing intellectual health problems. Therapeutic expense of such problems leads people into a financial burden. Inspite of squandering cash on pharmaceutical prescription, it is better to take benefit from laughter therapy. It is a part of human behavior, which helps human clarify their intentions in social interaction. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of laughter on cognition.
Methodology: This uncontrolled experimental study was conducted on 80 participants, recruited on convenience bases. All 18-30 years aged subjects with no chronic psychological disorder were included. While patients with a chronic psychological disorder were excluded from the study sample. Participants were divided into 3 groups: 26 participants in Group A, 33 participants in Group B and 21participants in Group C. Cognition skills were assessed by using Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score before and after laughter therapy session of about 25 mins. The collected data was then analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results: All the groups showed improvement in MoCA score after laughter therapy. Group A MoCA score after therapy was 22.70. Group B MoCA score after therapy was 25.10. Group C MoCA score after therapy was 25.42.By mean analysis, we figured out that there is a greater change of cognition seen in members of Group C than in Group B and change in Group B is greater than in Group A.
Conclusion: It was concluded that laughter improves cognition and regulates neurotransmitters. Moreover, it has great influence in daily life and puts a great impact on memory and cognitive skills
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In modern society, fierce competition and socioeconomic interaction stress the quality of life, causing a negative influence on a person’s mental health. Laughter is a positive sensation, and seems to be a useful and healthy way to overcome stress. Laughter therapy is a kind of cognitive-behavioral therapies that could make physical, psychological, and social relationships healthy, ultimately improving the quality of life. Laughter therapy, as a non-pharmacological, alternative treatment, has a positive effect on the mental health and the immune system. In addition, laughter therapy does not require specialized preparations, such as suitable facilities and equipment, and it is easily accessible and acceptable. For these reasons, the medical community has taken notice and attempted to include laughter therapy to more traditional therapies. Decreasing stress-making hormones found in the blood, laughter can mitigate the effects of stress. Laughter decreases serum levels of cortisol, epinephrine, growth hormone, and 3,4-dihydrophenylacetic acid (a major dopamine catabolite), indicating a reversal of the stress response. Depression is a disease, where neurotransmitters in the brain, such as norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin, are reduced, and there is something wrong in the mood control circuit of the brain. Laughter can alter dopamine and serotonin activity. Furthermore, endorphins secreted by laughter can help when people are uncomfortable or in a depressed mood. Laughter therapy is a noninvasive and non-pharmacological alternative treatment for stress and depression, representative cases that have a negative influence on mental health. In conclusion, laughter therapy is effective and scientifically supported as a single or adjuvant therapy.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of laughter therapy and cognitive reinforcement program on self-efficacy, depression and cognitive functions of the elderly with mild cognitive impairments (MCI). Methods: The study design was a non-equivalent control group pre and posttest design. Thirty-six subjects over the age of 65 with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment were assigned either to a treatment or a comparison group. Data were collected from February 7 to March 27, 2012 in the dementia supporting center. An eight week treatment program that included laughter therapy coupled with a cognitive reinforcing program including hand exercise, laughter dance routine, laughter technic and cognitive training for attention, memory, orientation and execution skill. Results: MoCA-K (t=-6.86, p
Anxiety disorders constitute a sizeable worldwide health burden with profound social and economic consequences. The symptoms are wide-ranging; from hyperarousal to difficulties with concentrating. This latter effect falls under the broad category of altered cognitive performance which is the focus of this review. Specifically, we examine the interaction between anxiety and cognition focusing on the translational threat of unpredictable shock paradigm; a method previously used to characterize emotional responses and defensive mechanisms that is now emerging as valuable tool for examining the interaction between anxiety and cognition. In particular, we compare the impact of threat of shock on cognition in humans to that of pathological anxiety disorders. We highlight that both threat of shock and anxiety disorders promote mechanisms associated with harm avoidance across multiple levels of cognition (from perception to attention to learning and executive function)—a “hot” cognitive function which can be both adaptive and maladaptive depending upon the circumstances. This mechanism comes at a cost to other functions such as working memory, but leaves some functions, such as planning, unperturbed. We also highlight a number of cognitive effects that differ across anxiety disorders and threat of shock. These discrepant effects are largely seen in “cold” cognitive functions involving control mechanisms and may reveal boundaries between adaptive (e.g., response to threat) and maladaptive (e.g., pathological) anxiety. We conclude by raising a number of unresolved questions regarding the role of anxiety in cognition that may provide fruitful avenues for future research.
Laughter is a pervasive human behavior that most frequently happens in a social context. However, data linking the behavior of laughter with psychological or social outcomes are exceptionally rare. Here, the authors draw attention to shared laughter as a useful objective marker of relationship well-being. Spontaneously generated laughs of 71 heterosexual romantic couples were coded from a videorecorded conversation about how the couple first met. Multilevel models revealed that while controlling for all other laughter present, the proportion of the conversation spent laughing simultaneously with the romantic partner was uniquely positively associated with global evaluations of relationship quality, closeness, and social support. Results are discussed with respect to methodological considerations and theoretical implications for relationships and behavioral research more broadly.
Memory and executive function are often impaired in patients with major depression, while cortisol secretion is increased. Mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) are abundantly expressed in the hippocampus and in the prefrontal cortex, brain areas critical for memory, executive function, and cortisol inhibition. Here, we investigated whether MR stimulation with fludrocortisone 1) improves memory and executive function and 2) decreases cortisol secretion in depressed patients and healthy individuals. Twenty-four depressed patients without medication and 24 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy participants received fludrocortisone (0.4 mg) or placebo in a randomized, double-blind, within-subject cross-over design. We measured verbal memory, visuospatial memory, executive function, psychomotor speed, and salivary cortisol secretion during cognitive testing between 14:00 and 17:00 hours. For verbal memory and executive function, we found better performance after fludrocortisone compared to placebo across groups. No treatment effect on other cognitive domains emerged. Depressed patients performed worse than healthy individuals in psychomotor speed and executive function. No group effect or group x treatment interaction emerged on other cognitive domains. Fludrocortisone decreased cortisol secretion across groups and there was a significant correlation between cortisol inhibition and verbal memory performance. Our data suggest a crucial role of MR in verbal memory and executive function and demonstrate the possibility to improve cognition in depressed patients and healthy individuals through MR stimulation.Neuropsychopharmacology accepted article preview online, 18 July 2014; doi:10.1038/npp.2014.181.
This paper is on the origins of laughing and the relation of laughing to humor within the context of evolution. It is suggested that laughing has its origins in an early nonhuman protective response which developed into a more sophisticated and diverse behavior within the context of increasingly complex social and symbolic conditions. ‘Humorous’ and ‘hysterical’ laughing are distinguished as different kinds of defensive processes, both associated with laughing and the mediation of attention. Some relations between smiling, laughing, and humor are explored, especially in connection with the evolution of social and symbolic life.
Humor produces psychological and physiological effects on our body that are similar to the health benefits of aerobic exercise. These benefits are some of the best kept secrets from those persons who probably have the most to gain from that information - older adults. Many of them who must live with chronic pain, arthritis, rheumatism, emphysema, memory loss, depression, and stress may be able to cope better with their conditions or find temporary relief by using humor. This article presents an up-to-date, comprehensive synthesis of 30 years of research evidence on 15 psychophysiological benefits of humor and laughter with their implications for older adults. The specific risks for this growing segment of the population also are identified. Strategies for communicating this information through publications and formal presentations by health educators working in gerontology are suggested. A curriculum outline is provided for use in developing short, feature presentations or integrating the content into existing exercise and health-related courses and programs. If these efforts are effective, eventually the health benefits of humor and laughter will be as familiar to our senior citizens as the risk factors associated with heart disease and smoking.
Mathew J, Paulose CS. The healing power of well-being.
Neuroendocrine system plays an important role in modulating our body functions and emotions. At the same time, emotions implicate a pivotal role in the regulation of brain function and neuroendocrine system. Negative affective states such as depression and stress are associated with premature mortality and increase the risk of various fatal diseases. It has been suggested that positive affective states are protective and improve our health and productiveness. Several potential mechanisms have been posited to account for these associations including improved health behaviour, direct physiological benefits, enhanced resistance and recovery from stress among individuals with high versus low positive emotional resources. This review summarises information concerning the neuronal and hormonal systems in mood, impact of negative and positive affective states on the level of cortisol, epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. The functional correlation of neuronal and hormonal systems in the development of diseases and their ability to enhance health-relevant biological processes are also evaluated.
Rhodiola rosea (rose root) belonging to the family Crassulaceae is a popular medicinal plant in Russia, Scandinavia, and many other countries. Extracts of the roots of this plant have been found to favorably affect a number of physiological functions including neurotransmitter levels, central nervous system activity, and cardiovascular function. It is being used to stimulate the nervous system, decrease depression, enhance work performance, eliminate fatigue, and prevent high-altitude sickness. Most of these effects have been ascribed to constituents such as salidroside (rhodioloside), rosavins, and p-tyrosol. It has also been found to be a strong antioxidant and anticarcinogen due to the presence of several phenolic compounds. Adaptogens are plant extracts that allow an organism to counteract adverse physical, chemical, and biological stressors by generating nonspecific resistance. Adaptogens are known to increase the availability of energy during the day, reduce stressed feelings, increase endurance, and increase mental alertness. This multipurpose medicinal plant (R. rosea), with adaptogenic properties that increase the body's nonspecific resistance and normalize functions, has been traditionally grown and used in Russia and Mongolia. Due to increasing consumer demands toward natural health products and the growing interests in the secondary metabolites of plants and their application in biotechnology and therapy, much focus has been put on the rose root and its medical properties. The rose root imparts normalizing influences on adverse physical, chemical, and biological disturbances but is otherwise innocuous. In India, the plant has been growing wild in the high altitudes of the Himalayas. The Defence Research and Development Organization in India has taken on the responsibilities of its conservation, as well as the development of multiple management practices and the development of health foods, supplements, and nutraceuticals in India.
Human β-endorphin (15 μg) administered intracisternally increased concentrations of serotonin (5HT) and its metabolite, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic. acid (5-HIAA), in brain stem and hypothalamus and decreased 5-HIAA concentrations in hippocampus. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that β-endorphin increases 5HT turnover in brain stem and hypothalamus and decreases 5HT turnover in hippocampus. β-endorphin increased in brain stem and hypothalamus and decreased in hippocampus the rate of pargyline-induced decline of 5-HIAA. β-endorphin decreased the rate of pargyline-induced accumulation of 5HT in all these brain regions. The probenecid-induced accumulation of 5-HIAA in brain stem was decreased by β-endorphin. These data are compatible with the hypothesis that β-endorphin increases release of 5HT from neurons in brain stem and hypothalamus and decreases release of 5HT from neurons in hippocampus. The data require further a hypothesis that β-endorphin either decreases 5HT reuptake in these three brain regions or increases 5-HIAA egress from brain.