Gelastic

Gelastic

Gelastic is a term often used in medical terminology to indicate an association of a symptom or syndrome with laughter. The word originates from the Greek gelastikos -- gelaein , to laugh.

Examples include:

Gelastic epilepsy or epileptic seizure. The seizures of gelastic epilepsy are characterized by spells of involuntary laughter.Gelastic epilepsy often results from a developmental abnormality of the brain known as hypothalamic hamartoma.

Gelastic syncope (referred to in one paper also as "Seinfeld" syncope after the famous long-running US TV show: "Seinfeld syncope". Cox SV, Eisenhauer AC, Hreib K. Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn. 1997 Oct;42(2):242. )

References

*ILAE Glossary of Descriptive Terminology for Ictal Semiology, Epilepsia, 2001.


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  • Gelastic — Ge*las tic, a. [Gr. ? inclined to laugh, from ? to laugh.] Pertaining to laughter; used in laughing. Gelastic muscles. Sir T. Browne. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gelastic seizure — Gelastic seizures are a type of minor seizure that manifests as a sudden, unprovoked outburst of emotion, usually laughter or crying. When occurring as isolated events, they are usually of short duration, lasting from a few seconds to less than a …   Wikipedia

  • gelastic — adjective a) Pertaining to laughter, used in laughing, or to be the subject of laughter. b) A particularly severe form of epileptic fit …   Wiktionary

  • gelastic — ge·las·tic …   English syllables

  • gelastic —   a. pertaining to laughing …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • gelastic — jəˈlastik adjective Etymology: Greek gelastikos able to laugh, from gelastos laughable (from gelan to laugh) + ikos ic; akin to Armenian calr laughter more at clean : risible …   Useful english dictionary

  • gelastic epilepsy — temporal lobe epilepsy in which the automatisms consist of fits of uncontrollable mirthless laughter …   Medical dictionary

  • Fatal hilarity — For fatal hilarity as a figure of speech [cite book |title= The Sunday Excursionist |last= Henry |first= O. |quote= Men who have braved the deepest troubles and emerged unscathed from the heaviest afflictions have gone down with a shriek of… …   Wikipedia

  • Death from laughter — Chrysippus reportedly died of laughter. Recorded cases of death from laughter date back to ancient Greece. Contents 1 Pathophysiology …   Wikipedia

  • Pallister-Hall syndrome — Classification and external resources OMIM 146510 DiseasesDB 32013 MeSH …   Wikipedia

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