mystery of yawning
Le bâillement, du réflexe à la pathologie
Le bâillement : de l'éthologie à la médecine clinique
Le bâillement : phylogenèse, éthologie, nosogénie
 Le bâillement : un comportement universel
La parakinésie brachiale oscitante
Yawning: its cycle, its role
Warum gähnen wir ?
 
Fetal yawning assessed by 3D and 4D sonography
Le bâillement foetal
Le bâillement, du réflexe à la pathologie
Le bâillement : de l'éthologie à la médecine clinique
Le bâillement : phylogenèse, éthologie, nosogénie
 Le bâillement : un comportement universel
La parakinésie brachiale oscitante
Yawning: its cycle, its role
Warum gähnen wir ?
 
Fetal yawning assessed by 3D and 4D sonography
Le bâillement foetal
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6 novembre 2011
European Journal of Neurology
2009;10(16):e120
Medical implications of excessive yawning in relation to thermoregulatory dysfunction
 
A. C. Gallup and G. G. Gallup Jr
Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY
and Department of Psychology, University at Albany, NY, USA

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Tous les articles d'Andrew Gallup
 
Recently Chang et al. [1] describe how pathological yawning was extinguished following tracheostomy in a patient with locked-in syndrome. In response, Prasad described a connection between the amelioration of symptoms and selective brain cooling via the upper respiratory tract [2]. He suggests that the cerebral cooling stimulated by the nasal air passage might be strong enough to inhibit mechanisms that would normally trigger yawning. We are in agreement with these points; however, we think it is important to set the archival record straight by summarizing the current literature on yawning, brain cooling, and abnormal thermoregulation.
 
Prasad suggests that research is needed to connect yawning with nasal breathing, but he neglects to mention a recent study, which showed that nasal breathing eradicated contagious yawning in humans [3]. Also, Prasad brings to light evidence of selective brain cooling via nasal breathing in sheep, but it is important to note that Mariak et al. and more recently, Harris et al. have both found a direct reduction in human brain temperature following nasal air flow [4,5]. Therefore, these are not novel interpretations. In addition, Chang et al. report the blocking of basilar arteries prior to treatment, and Zenker and Kubik report the importance of brain artery function for cerebral cooling in humans [6].
 
Excessive yawning has been identified as a symptom of abnormal thermoregulation [7]. For example, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and migraine headaches are all related to temperature regulation/ dysfunction, and each have been linked to yawning. Likewise, drugs that increase brain temperature often produce excessive yawning, whilst drugs that produce hypothermia inhibit yawning [7]. We emphasize that excessive yawning is not necessarily associated with inadequate sleep, as evidenced by Chang et al., and may in fact be indicative of abnormal thermoregulation.
 
References
 
1. Chang CC, Chang ST, Chang HY, Tsai KC. Amelioration of pathological yawning after tracheostomy in a patient with locked-in syndrome. Eur J Neurol 2008; 15: e66&endash;e67.
 
2. Prasad H. Amelioration of pathological yawning after tracheostomy in a patient with locked-in syndrome: a thermoregulatory approach. Eur J Neurol 2008; 15: e114.
 
3. Gallup AC, Gallup GG Jr. Yawning as a brain cooling mechanism: nasal breathing and forehead cooling diminish the incidence of contagious yawning. Evol Psychol 2007; 5: 92&endash;101.
 
4. Mariak Z, White MD, Lewko J, Lyson T, Piekarski P. Direct cooling of the human brain by heat loss through the upper respiratory tract. J Appl Physiol 1999; 87:1609&endash; 1613.
 
5. Harris BA, Andrews PJD, Murray GD. Enhanced upper respiratory tract airflow and head fanning reduce brain temperature in brain-injured, mechanically ventilated patients: a randomized, crossover, factorial trial. Br J Anaesth 2007; 98: 93&endash;99.
 
6. Zenker W, Kubik S. Brain cooling in humans &endash; anatomical considerations. Anat Embryol (Berl) 1996; 193: 1&endash;13.
 
7. Gallup AC, Gallup GG Jr. Yawning and thermoregulation. Physiol Behav 2008; 95:10-16(e120)
 
 Andrew C. Gallup. Yawning and the thermoregulatory hypothesis