First of all, there are chemicals associated with happiness that are released during laughter. While these multiple chemicals are associated with different types of happiness. The main chemicals involved with happiness relating to laughter, are dopamine and endorphins. Dopamine, which is associated with long term happiness and the consistent feeling of thinking something is funny, and the laughing associated with it. Additionally, endorphins, are hormones that released in large quantities and are associated with short bursts of laughter. Furthermore, endorphins that are released before laughter, can also have a physiological effect that will cause laughter by itself. For example, there is a possibility that hearing or feeling certain emotions that trigger happiness, or cause the release of endorphins, may end up causing you to laugh by themselves.
Chemical Synthesis Triggers
Furthermore, the chemical formation of dopamine in the brain is caused by the dehydration of the amino acid tyrosine followed by the decarboxylation thereof. This process goes hand-in-hand with the formation of endorphins which when paired with dopamine, can cause short burts of laughter as well as the moderate feeling of happiness that is associated with happiness. However, what actually triggers the synthesis of these chemicals? Scientific research demonstrates that the formation of these chemicals is due to behavior in nervous tissue and the formation of adrenaline, that trigger the synthesis of the key hormones and chemicals that are associated with happiness. This is actually a comprehensive concept, as nerve cells can be triggered as a result of adrenaline or other chemicals, given bursts of energy, goosebumps, etc. It is these triggers, as well as the area of the body in which they occur, that assists in the body's natural response to begin the production of the "happy" chemicals.
Structure of Dopamine
Application of this Knowledge
Given the knowledge that we have of dopamine and endorphins, scientists have been able to develop but recreational drugs, as well drugs that aid in the treating of sickness or disease. For example, the treatment of depression, or the assistance of pain through the use of opiates, painkillers,
involve chemicals that trigger the synthesis of dopamine in the brain. It is important to realize that these drugs frequently involve the synthesis of dopamine, as dopamine is the chemical that is associated with long-term happiness in the brain, as opposed to short-term, intermediate, or quick bursts of happiness. Furthermore, we have already discovered that the synthesis of both dopamine and endorphins can be related, and therefore, laughter can be involved with the strict synthesis of dopamine, if the production is high enough that nervous tissue and adrenaline begins to trigger the production of further chemicals. Interestingly enough, the molecular structure of endorphins is far more complex than that of dopamine, which is perplexing as they are released in very large quantities, and are expended very rapidly (as they are, once again, associated with short bursts of pleasure).
Molecular Structure of Endorphins
Additionally, endorphins are the hormones that allow people to "power through", or provide satisfaction and release in times of pain, stress, depression, etc. Therefore, in stressful times, any short times of relief, involving happiness, laughing, or satisfaction, are likely due to endorphins, and therefore subside relatively quickly. Likewise, the lack of endorphins often is the cause of momentary anger, frustration, pain, or sadness, whereas the lack of dopamine causes long-term downtime, such as depression, stress, or sadness. Therefore, the different style of major emotions and their association with the different emotion chemicals, can be used to pinpoint the different areas of the brain and body that pharmacists, scientists, and doctors should target when attempting to cure or aid sickness or problems. For example, for depression medication, scientists would want to develop medications that will trigger a production of dopamine, to assist with long-term support and happiness, as dopamine is not consumed quickly and will last for a longer period of time. On the other hand, when developing medications that assist with the endurance of pain, doctors and scientists would likely want to develop a slow-releasing drug that causes the production of endorphins, to provide sufficient pain relief over time.
Sources: http://technologyadvice.com/blog/information-technology/activate-chemicals-gamify-happiness-nicole-lazzaro/
home.uchicago.edu/~syin/Kang.doc
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0072574/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1920543/
https://www.naabt.org/faq_answers.cfm?ID=6
I find it fascinating that your post in Biochemistry about the Chemistry of Laughter addresses (of course in addition to laughter) what can be said as the opposite subject: depression. What you have written makes sense to me, about getting artificial dopamine into the brain, so that depression can go away. Is this a legitimate treatment for depression right now (because it sounds fairly straightforward)? in that is dopamine some type of ingredient in depression medication? And if so, does this treatment actually yield the effects it is expected to? Also, one more question (sorry): continuing off the point about artificial dopamine, do you think (or do the community of scientists who study depression) that somehow getting artificial dopamine into the brain is the same as actually being happy? This might sound like a philosophical question, but it seems like it really does have scientific relevance, because while dopamine is indeed a natural chemical as you have explained, it just seems to me that making it artificially is unnatural, which could lead to it having instead the effect of taking drugs that make you *feel* happy, as opposed to *being* happy. In either case, laughter is definitely an integral part of Happiness :)
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, I had no idea that laughter was a scientific study. I also did not know that there is no chemical dedicated to just making you laugh, prior to reading this blog post I thought that is what dopamine did. I also initially thought that laughter was not a natural response in humans. It also was very interesting to learn that there are so many different triggers they assist each other to cause the body's natural response of laughter. I was also surprised to learn that the same chemicals involved in creating laughter are the same chemicals involved in pain relief medicine.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of going to go off of what Tushar mentioned near the end of his comment, about the artificial release of dopamine as opposed to something that would cause its release naturally. Interestingly enough, the a side effect some treatments of other diseases (such as Parkinsons) that release dopamine, can lead to schizophrenic tendencies. The general reason this occurs is because, when it comes to the neurochemicals and neurotransmitters, our bodies have an extremely delicate balance so when it's is tampered with it can lead to some serious consequences (e.g dependency or the example I just gave). Also, I really don't believe true happiness could be achieved this way, part of it comes from the sort of anger that comes when there is a lack of these endorphins and chemicals, a sort of depression after the high brought by them followed by a craving for more, something that is not necessarily followed by all means of the natural production (which is often followed by content).
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