Revista de neurologia
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Revista de neurologia · Feb 1997
Case Reports[Transitory episode of laughter as the initial symptom of an ischemic stroke].
Pathological laughter occurs in pseudobulbar paralysis, in psychiatric disorders and as a sign of convulsions (gelastic crisis). An extremely rare form is the "fou rire prodromique' a pathological episode of laughter preceding a stroke. The pathogenesis is unknown and classically differentiated from gelastic crises. "Fou rire prodromique' has been described in subcortical ischaemic or haemorrhagic strokes, not in cortical strokes. ⋯ We suggest that in the case described it is impossible to differentiate between the "fou rire prodromique' and a gelastic crisis as a first sign of an embolic cerebrovascular accident.