Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Gelastic
Introduction
Gelastic is a term used to refer to a certain type of 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.
From the Greek gelastikos — gelaein , to laugh.
References
- ILAE Glossary of Descriptive Terminology for Ictal Semiology, Epilepsia, 2001.
- Virginia Gyselinck (She knows her stuff)