Social laughter releases endorphins in the brain
June 2, 2017
Recent results obtained by researchers from Turku PET Centre, the University of Oxford and Aalto University have revealed how social laughter leads to endorphin release in the brain, possibly promoting establishment of social bonds. The more opioid receptors participants had in their brains, the more they laughed during the experiment. Social laughter leads to pleasurable feelings and significantly increased release of endorphins and other opioid peptides in the brain areas controlling arousal and emotions.
"Our results highlight that endorphin release induced by social laughter may be an important pathway that supports formation, reinforcement, and maintenance of social bonds between humans. The pleasurable and calming effects of endorphin release might signal safety and promote feelings of togetherness. The relationship between opioid receptor density and laughter rate also suggests that the opioid system may underlie individual differences in sociability," says Professor Lauri Nummenmaa from Turku PET Centre at the University of Turku.
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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-06-social-laughter-endorphins-brain.html#jCp
