Laughter-induced syncope is an unusual but recognized form of situational syncope (fainting) likely to have a similar pathophysiological origin to tussive syncope. One reported case occurred while a patient was watching the television show '' Seinfeld'', and was given the name Seinfeld syncope. There are few case reports of this syndrome in the literature. Patients, as in this case, might present initially to the emergency department, and laughter should be considered among the numerous differentials for syncope. Laughter-induced syncope should not be confused with

cataplexy Cataplexy is a sudden and transient episode of muscle weakness accompanied by full conscious awareness, typically triggered by emotions such as laughing, crying, or terror. Cataplexy affects approximately 70% of people who have narcolepsy, and is ...

, a sudden loss of muscle tone triggered by strong emotions, particularly laughter. Unlike syncope, there is no loss of consciousness in cataplexy, which affects 65-75% of patients with

narcolepsy Narcolepsy is a long-term neurological disorder that involves a decreased ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles. Symptoms often include periods of excessive daytime sleepiness and brief involuntary sleep episodes. About 70% of those affect ...

. To date there have been few cases of laughter-induced syncope documented in medical literature.

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