"The child doesn't know what strange disease he has, he laughs non-stop every day," said the parents of Dongdong (a pseudonym). Dongdong, a 7-year-old from Linyi, started laughing for no apparent reason one and a half years ago. Sometimes, while laughing, he would jump around. Recently, his symptoms have worsened, with episodes occurring more than ten times a day, accumulating to about 8 hours of laughter daily. On March 3rd, it was learned from the 401 Hospital that Dongdong was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy. Due to his underdeveloped brain, surgery is currently not an option.
Each episode of laughter occurs without any cause. On the morning of March 3rd, when the reporter visited the Epilepsy Treatment Center at the 401 Hospital, Dongdong was lying on the bed undergoing a brain examination. "It's really worrying, as if he's possessed by a spell," said Mrs. Liu, his mother, with a worried expression. She said her son had always been very smart, like a treasure at home, loved by everyone. However, one and a half years ago, her son suddenly changed.
Mrs. Liu recalled that one and a half years ago, her son was playing with a neighbor's child when he suddenly burst out laughing and started jumping while laughing. "At first, I thought he was just having fun." Mrs. Liu said that her son laughed for three or four minutes, then continued playing. A month later, he exhibited the same behavior again, this time laughing while eating dinner. When she asked him why he was laughing, he seemed not to hear her, continuing to laugh happily.
"Later, my son began experiencing this almost every month," Mrs. Liu said. Each time, he would laugh for four or five minutes, all without any reason.
Laughing for several hours in one night. "Starting from six months ago, my son's symptoms worsened," Mrs. Liu said. He would experience an episode every ten days or so. Initially, it only happened during the day, but later, he would laugh even while sleeping. His nighttime laughter differed from daytime episodes; his facial expressions were exaggerated, his hands stiff, and he would fumble with objects, avoiding eye contact.
"Look, he's starting to laugh again," the reporter heard Mrs. Liu say as Dongdong lying in bed suddenly burst into giggles, emitting a "giggling" sound, looking very happy. However, talking to him didn't stop his laughter. If you shouted loudly, he would respond but continue laughing, occasionally blinking, tears almost streaming down, until after five minutes he returned to normal.
"Recently, it's almost driven us crazy. On average, he laughs for eight hours a day," Mrs. Liu said. In the last three months, her son could laugh over ten times a day, sometimes continuously for several hours. Now, the total laughing time each day accumulates to about eight hours. "Last night, he laughed from seven o'clock until two in the morning. He was actually exhausted," Mrs. Liu said sympathetically. By the end, her son was too tired to laugh anymore, waking up looking fatigued. "Now, he can only sleep for five or six hours a day," Mrs. Liu said. The once cheerful son now speaks less and often stares blankly.
Surgery is not currently an option. Mrs. Liu mentioned that both in terms of height and intelligence, she felt her son hadn't progressed much in over a year. "We've taken him to many places, but we can't find a cure, nor can we determine the cause," Mrs. Liu said. They've visited Beijing and Shanghai, but each time the electroencephalogram showed no abnormalities.
"This child suffers from a rare form of epilepsy," said Dr. Lu Peilin, director of the Epilepsy Treatment Center at the 401 Hospital. They conducted a 24-hour brain examination on the child, confirming the diagnosis of "gelastic epilepsy," which might be related to congenital developmental factors and not influenced by external factors. When the child isn't having an episode, all physical examinations are normal.
Dr. Lu Peilin explained that the incidence of "gelastic epilepsy" is very low, accounting for only one percent of all epilepsy cases. Since Dongdong's brain hasn't fully developed yet, the lesion isn't obvious, making surgery currently impossible. Only medication can control it, and surgery may be considered when he reaches fourteen or fifteen years old.
Additionally, Dr. Lu Peilin said that the early stages of "gelastic epilepsy" are often overlooked, leading to treatment delays. Therefore, he reminded parents that if their children exhibit abnormal behaviors, they should seek medical attention promptly to minimize harm. Reporter Weili Li (Editor: SN021)