Bambi Eloriaga-Amago
If you find yourself developing an increasingly dark sense of humor, you could be prone to dementia. This is according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University College London (UCL).
The study involved 48 patients suffering from frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a condition affecting the temporal lobe region located behind the forehead, and Alzheimer’s, a disease that causes memory loss. Survey questions were designed to determine whether the patients preferred slapstick comedy such as Mr. Bean, absurd comedy a la Monty Python (a British comedy group famous for movies like The Life of Brian and Monty Python and the Holy Grail), or satirical comedy such as Yes, Minister (a British political comedy set in the 1980s).
The results, as published in the Journal for Alzheimer’s Disease, showed that slapstick comedy was preferred by all the patients.
“Humor could be a particularly sensitive way of detecting dementia because it puts demands on so many different aspects of brain function, such as puzzle solving, emotion, and social awareness,” explained Dr. Camilla Clark, who led the UCL research team.
The study also found that people with behavioral variant FTD (BvFTD,) a rare form of dementia characterized by changes in behavior and personality, experienced profound changes in their sense of humor, shifting to a darker tone. For example, they often found humor even in tragic events such as death.
“A sense of humor defines us and is used to build relationships with those around us, changes in what we find funny has impacts far beyond picking a new favorite TV show,” said Dr. Clark.
Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Dr. Simon Ridley would like to stress the importance of the study. “While memory loss is often the first thing that springs to mind when we hear the word dementia, this study highlights the importance of looking at the myriad different symptoms that impact on daily life and relationships,” he said, “a deeper understanding of the full range of dementia symptoms will increase our ability to make a timely and accurate diagnosis.”
But before one jumps to conclusions, bear in mind that the study looks at drastic changes in a person’s sense of humor within his lifetime. So if you’ve had a sick sense of humor since birth, chances are you’re mentally sound. Taste in jokes and comedy shows, however, might be another matter altogether.
