US Edition
Memory cafes at the National Comedy Center ignite laughter and connection for dementia patients
JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, JUL 20 – The National Comedy Center’s monthly memory cafes use comedy exhibits to support those with dementia and caregivers, benefiting over 7 million Americans, Alzheimer’s Association data shows.
- The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, N.Y., held a Memory Cafe event on May 5, 2025, inviting people with dementia and their caregivers to connect through humor and memories.
- Memory cafes emerged globally in recent years to support individuals with memory loss and their caregivers by providing social interaction and resources.
- The center’s exhibits, spanning comedy history from Vaudeville to viral memes, trigger shared laughter and stimulate parts of the brain linked to nostalgia and cognitive response.
- Shelia Kennison, psychology professor, said humor activates most of the brain and sets off a cascade of physiological changes that benefit the whole body.
- These memory cafes help attendees like 78-year-old Mario with dementia to recall vivid memories, suggesting humor and social engagement may support cognitive wellbeing.
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48 Articles
MedPage Today
Anti-Aging, Acupuncture and Health NewsMemory Cafes Ignite Laughter and Connection for Dementia Patients and Caregivers
(MedPage Today) -- JAMESTOWN, N.Y. -- Side by side on a sofa inside the National Comedy Center, Gail and Mario Cirasunda chuckled at a clip from the 1980s sitcom "Family Ties" that was playing on a TV screen. The show's oldest daughter, Mallory...
Syracuse NY
New York UpstateMemory cafes at Upstate NY comedy center spark laughter, connection for dementia patients
JAMESTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Side by side on a sofa inside the National Comedy Center, Gail and Mario Cirasunda chuckled at a clip from the 1980s sitcom “Family Ties” that was playing on a TV screen. The show’s oldest daughter, Mallory, was introducing her unconventional artist boyfriend Nick to her bewildered television family.
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Winnipeg Free Press
Memory cafes at the National Comedy Center ignite laughter and connection for dementia patients
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
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