Laughter is a complex motor behavior occurring in both emotional and nonemotional contexts. Here, we investigated whether the different functions of laughter are mediated by distinct networks and, if this is the case, which are the white matter tracts sustaining them. We performed a multifiber tractography investigation placing seeds in regions involved in laughter production, as identified by previous intracerebral electrical stimulation studies in humans: The pregenual anterior cingulate (pACC), ventral temporal pole (TPv), frontal operculum (FO), presupplementary motor cortex, and ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens (VS/NAcc). The primary motor cortex (M1) and two subcortical territories were also studied to trace the descending projections. Results provided evidence for the existence of two relatively distinct networks. A first network, including pACC, TPv, and VS/NAcc, is interconnected through the anterior cingulate bundle, the accumbofrontal tract, and the uncinate fasciculus, reaching the brainstem throughout the mamillo-tegmental tract. This network is likely involved in the production of emotional laughter. A second network, anchored to FO and M1, projects to the brainstem motor nuclei through the internal capsule. It is most likely the neural basis of nonemotional and conversational laughter. The two networks interact throughout the pre-SMA that is connected to both pACC and FO.

Two Neural Networks for Laughter: A Tractography Study / Gerbella, M.; Pinardi, C.; Di Cesare, G.; Rizzolatti, G.; Caruana, F.. - In: CEREBRAL CORTEX. - ISSN 1047-3211. - 31:2(2021), pp. 899-916. [10.1093/cercor/bhaa264]

Two Neural Networks for Laughter: A Tractography Study

Gerbella M.
;
Di Cesare G.;Rizzolatti G.;Caruana F.
2021-01-01

Abstract

Laughter is a complex motor behavior occurring in both emotional and nonemotional contexts. Here, we investigated whether the different functions of laughter are mediated by distinct networks and, if this is the case, which are the white matter tracts sustaining them. We performed a multifiber tractography investigation placing seeds in regions involved in laughter production, as identified by previous intracerebral electrical stimulation studies in humans: The pregenual anterior cingulate (pACC), ventral temporal pole (TPv), frontal operculum (FO), presupplementary motor cortex, and ventral striatum/nucleus accumbens (VS/NAcc). The primary motor cortex (M1) and two subcortical territories were also studied to trace the descending projections. Results provided evidence for the existence of two relatively distinct networks. A first network, including pACC, TPv, and VS/NAcc, is interconnected through the anterior cingulate bundle, the accumbofrontal tract, and the uncinate fasciculus, reaching the brainstem throughout the mamillo-tegmental tract. This network is likely involved in the production of emotional laughter. A second network, anchored to FO and M1, projects to the brainstem motor nuclei through the internal capsule. It is most likely the neural basis of nonemotional and conversational laughter. The two networks interact throughout the pre-SMA that is connected to both pACC and FO.
2021
Two Neural Networks for Laughter: A Tractography Study / Gerbella, M.; Pinardi, C.; Di Cesare, G.; Rizzolatti, G.; Caruana, F.. - In: CEREBRAL CORTEX. - ISSN 1047-3211. - 31:2(2021), pp. 899-916. [10.1093/cercor/bhaa264]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2895121
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