Dementia and odd laughter.

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Silveraven Asked June 24, 2024

Dementia and odd laughter.

My MIL has (i believe mid-stage) dementia. I'm noticing she laughs spontaneously at absolutely nothing. I also notice that when she attempts to speak she does an odd, constant little chuckle. I used to think this was a way to buy time while she tried to find her words, but now with the odd spontaneous laughter and increasing decline I'm just thinking it's part of overall dementia symptoms (She has a lot of trouble with language and it's sort of impossible to have much conversation so i assume there is some form of fronto-temporal damage going on). Anyone else notice this laughter issue with loved ones? Since it's basically "inappropriate " do you just ignore it or do you ask the person if they are recalling something funny? I ask because sometimes she will look at us expectantly after doing it so I don't know if she is trying to communicate something? Thanks in advance!

Alzheimer's & Dementia Communication & Language Dementia Behaviors Frontotemporal

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score 3 · Answer 1

Yes, it's a known thing. My friend would laugh uncontrollably for no reason. My LO laughs if something happens that seems to require a response, such as receiving a gift and looking at the names on the card. Normal response would be a nod and a smile and perhaps a comment, but now it's a laugh. (The giver mistakes this for happiness, but to me it's more like the brain is blank and doesn't know the appropriate response so it fills in a laugh.) A laugh might also be filled in if LO is assessing situation, such as how to get out of the car, which is difficult now. All of a sudden, a laugh happens. It's not exactly inappropriate, but not normal either.

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Great response - thank you! It's nice to know that this is a "thing." I also particularly liked the example you gave about getting a gift, as my husband seems to interpret her laughter as happiness and I think it's exactly as how you described it - just a way to respond when the brain isn't quite sure what to do.
Thank you.

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score 2 · Answer 2

Yes. Almost certainly is a part of her dementia.
Expect the unexpected.
Watch Teepa Snow Videos to get a "picture" of dementia.
Get as much education as you can.

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Thank you - I will definitely check out Teepa Snow. And you're right about getting as much education as I can - this is one of those symptoms I'd not ever heard much about prior to experiencing it firsthand.

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score 3 · Answer 3

She may have, as you suspected used the laugh to cover up missing words, not knowing what to say and it is now a habit.
I think each person with dementia will develop what I call "quirks".
My Husband moaned...a lot!
Some people get caught in what I call a "word loop" and will say "help me" or "come here" or any phrase that at one time brought someone to them and now it is just words and they really don't need help or someone to "come here" as there are people near anyway.

Keep conversations simple.
Do not offer many choices. Don't just say what do you want for dinner? Maybe say do you want chicken sandwich or a ham sandwich.
That may get to be more than she can answer at some point.

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Thank you for the response and I love the specific advice about offering limited choices. Such a simple thing but often forgotten in the moment. We'll all need to adjust at simplifying. Again, thank you!

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score 4 · Answer 4

There is something called BPA. If you want to look it up. It's uncontrollable laughter or crying at unusual times. It's a neurological thing, sorry I'm not a nurse so my medical terms are not great. It probably has something to do with her dementia

PBA , not BPA so sorry
Best of luck to you. At least she isn't crying.

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I think that is Pseudo Bulbar Affect

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Dementia and odd laughter.

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