Takeaway
There are cortico-subcortical differences during laughter events between children with and without narcolepsy type 1 (NT1); of note the zona incerta (ZI) is affected by blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals in the former, but not in the latter.
Why this matters
NT1 is associated with spontaneous laughter, impacting children’s quality of life; better insight into its pathophysiology can bring us closer to treating it.