SCIENCE / MEDICINE : Comedy as Pain Reliever Tested

Researchers will try to determine if laughter really is the best medicine by showing comic films to about 150 nursing home residents in the Carolinas.

The study will use films such as those by the Marx Brothers and W. C. Fields to see whether humor reduces requests for nonprescription pain medication, said Fran McGuire, head of the project.

A small-scale film study two years ago found what appeared to be “dramatic decreases” in requests for pain medication, he said. That could have been the result of chemical changes in the body relieving pain or the result of reduced stress, which would reduce pain.

However, McGuire said that study was so limited that no conclusive findings could be documented. The new study will attempt to broaden the scope and come up with findings that could be used by nursing homes to improve their residents’ quality of life, he said.

In addition to classic comic movies, Clemson researchers will use the “I Love Lucy” and Three Stooges television shows, said Rosangela Boyd, who tested films at a nursing home in Seneca, S.C.

“They did not find modern comedies, such as ‘Three Men and a Baby,’ to be funny nor did they like any of the films with offensive language,” she said.

McGuire said he suspects classic films are preferred because they may bring back good memories. Also, slapstick humor can be enjoyed without having to follow a plot or understand nuances of dialogue.