View source for Laughter-induced syncope

{{short description|Syncope}}
'''Laughter-induced syncope''' is an unusual but recognized form of situational [[Syncope (medicine)|syncope]] (fainting) likely to have a similar pathophysiological origin to tussive syncope. One reported case occurred while a patient was watching the television show ''[[Seinfeld]]'', and was given the name '''Seinfeld syncope'''.<ref name="pmid9328725">{{cite journal |vauthors=Cox SV, Eisenhauer AC, Hreib K |title=Seinfeld syncope |journal=Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis |volume=42 |issue=2 |page=242 |date=October 1997 |pmid=9328725|doi=10.1002/(SICI)1097-0304(199710)42:2<242::AID-CCD41>3.0.CO;2-M}}</ref>

There are few case reports of this syndrome in the literature. Patients, as in this case, might present initially to the [[emergency department]], and [[laughter]] should be considered among the numerous differentials for syncope.

Laughter-induced syncope should not be confused with [[cataplexy]], a sudden loss of muscle tone triggered by strong emotions, particularly laughter. Unlike syncope, there is no loss of consciousness in cataplexy, which affects 65-75% of patients with [[narcolepsy]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Khan |first1=Z |last2=Trotti |first2=LM |title=Central Disorders of Hypersomnolence: Focus on the Narcolepsies and Idiopathic Hypersomnia. |journal=Chest |date=July 2015 |volume=148 |issue=1 |pages=262–273 |doi=10.1378/chest.14-1304 |pmid=26149554|pmc=4694150 }}</ref>

To date there have been few cases of laughter-induced syncope documented in medical literature.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Shear Hilarity Leading to Laugh Syncope in a Healthy Man|author=Bloomfield and Jazrawi|journal=Journal of the American Medical Association|date=2005|volume=293|pages=2863–2864|url=http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/293/23/2863.2.extract|doi=10.1001/jama.293.23.2863-b|pmid=15956630|last2=Jazrawi|first2=S|issue=23|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite journal|title=Laughter-induced syncope|date=August 2005|journal=[[The Lancet]]|volume=366|issue=9483|pages=426|author1=S. Braga |author2=R. Manni |author3=R. Pedretti |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67027-4|pmid=16054945|s2cid=29552987}}
*{{cite journal|author=Matthew J Bragg|date=2006|title=Fall about laughing: A case of laughter syncope|journal=Emergency Medicine Australasia|volume=18|issue=5–6|pages=518–519|doi=10.1111/j.1742-6723.2006.00877.x|pmid=17083645|s2cid=30648068}}
*{{cite journal|title=Defining and classifying syncope|journal=Clinical Autonomic Research|publisher=Steinkopff|volume=14|issue=1|date=2004-10-11|doi=10.1007/s10286-004-1002-4|pages=i4–i8|author=Roland D. Thijs, Wouter Wieling, Horacio Kaufmann, and Gert van Dijk1|pmid=15480929|s2cid=24259326}}
*{{cite journal|title=Observations on recurrent syncope and presyncope in 641 patients|journal=[[The Lancet]]|volume=357|issue=9253|pages=348–353|author1=C. Mathias |author2=K. Deguchi |author3=I. Schatz |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(00)03642-4|year=2001|pmid=11210997|s2cid=11341449}}
*{{cite journal|journal=Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences|volume=17|issue=1|pages=45–50|date=2003-06-05|publisher=American Psychiatric Press, Inc.|title=Characterizing the Emotions That Trigger Cataplexy|author1=Lois E. Krahn |author2=James F. Lymp |author3=Wendy R. Moore |author4=Nancy Slocumb |author5=Michael H. Silber |doi=10.1176/jnp.17.1.45|pmid=15746482}}
*{{cite journal|title=Non-epileptic causes of loss of consciousness|journal=Medicine|volume=32|issue=9|pages=15–17|author=A. KENNEDY|doi=10.1383/medc.32.9.15.49910|year=2004}}

[[Category:Laughter|Syncope]]
[[Category:Consciousness]]

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