Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU 2020; 10(02): 57-62
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1714196
Review Article

The Mystery behind “Yawning”: A Physiological Insight

Dipak Kumar Dhar
1   Department of Physiology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
,
Ritik Arora
2   Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Jolly Grant, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
› Author Affiliations Funding None.
› Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Yawning is a very ubiquitous yet very poorly understood phenomenon. Even though with advancements in science, the scientific community has been able to decode the mechanisms and mysteries behind most of the physiological functions of the body, but we still do not have clear answers to this common activity that all of us experience numerous times on a daily basis. It is the enigma surrounding yawning that makes it all more intriguing. A lot of hypotheses and theories have been proposed since the times of Hippocrates. With more modern neuroimaging methods and bioassays available now, more meticulous inquiry is being increasingly made to elucidate a rational and scientifically sound physiological basis of yawning. A comprehensive and exhaustive study of articles and research work available on the internet on the subject was made through various search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, etc. This article attempts to provide in a nutshell the available information and knowledge on the subject and discuss its plausibility and the future direction of research in this field.

Keywords

yawning - mirror neuron system - arousal


Publication History

Article published online:
08 July 2020

© .

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Private Ltd.
A-12, Second Floor, Sector -2, NOIDA -201301, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Provine RR. Yawning as a stereotyped action pattern and releasing stimulus. Ethology 1986; 72: 109-122
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 2 Walusinski O. [Yawning: from birth to senescence]. Psychol Neuropsychiatr Vieil 2006; 4 (01) 39-46
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 de Mercy FC. Oeuvres d'Hippocrate. Traité de la MaladieSacrée, des Vents ou des Fluxions. Paris: BéchetJeune; 1831: 359
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 4 Dolkart KM. A conjecture as to the physiological origins of yawning. Int J Appl Basic Med Res 2017; 7 (02) 148
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Chouard CH, Bigot-Massoni D. Mécanismeset roles physiologiques du bâillement. AnnOto-Laryng 1990; 107: 145-153
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 6 Dhungat JV. Yawning: behavior and physiology. J Assoc Physicians India 2016; 64 (07) 106
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Yawning AlóeF.. ArqNeuropsiquitar. 1994; 52 (02) 273-276
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Kalat JW. Biological Psychology. 10th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning; 2009
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 9 Askenasy JJ. Is yawning an arousal defense reflex?. J Psychol 1989; 123 (06) 609-621
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 10 Guggisberg AG, Mathis J, Schnider A, Hess CW. Why do we yawn?. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2010; 34 (08) 1267-1276
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Walusinski O. The mystery of yawning in physiology and disease: Foreward. Front Neurol Neurosci 2010; 28: X-XIV
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Schiller F. Yawning?. J Hist Neurosci 2002; 11 (04) 392-401
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Bijlani RL, Manjunatha S. Understanding Medical Physiology. 4th edition. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2011
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 14 Kita I, Sato-Suzuki I, Oguri M, Arita H. Yawning responses induced by local hypoxia in the paraventricular nucleus of the rat. Behav Brain Res 2000; 117 (1-2) 119-126
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Pal GK, Pal P, Nanda N. Comprehensive Textbook of Medical Physiology. 2nd edition. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers; 2019
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 16 Barrett KE, Barman SE, Botaino S, Brooks HL. Eds. Ganong’s Review of Medical physiology. 25th edition. Noida: McGraw Hill Education (India) Private Limited; 2012
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 17 Millen A, Anderson JR. Neither infants nor toddlers catch yawns from their mothers. Biol Lett 2011; 7 (03) 440-442
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Sircar S. Principles of Medical Physiology. 2nd edition. Noida: Thieme Publishers; 2014
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 19 Barry RJ, Rushby JA, Wallace MJ, Clarke AR, Johnstone SJ, Zlojutro I. Caffeine effects on resting-state arousal. Clin Neurophysiol 2005; 116 (11) 2693-2700
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Gupta S, Mittal S. Yawning and its physiological significance. Int J Appl Basic Med Res 2013; 3 (01) 11-15
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Corey TP, Shoup-Knox ML, Gordis EB, Gallup Jr GG. Changes in physiology before, during, and after yawning. Front Evol Neurosci 2012; 3: 7
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Dhingra PL, Dhingra S. Diseases of the Ear, Nose and Throat and Head, Neck Surgery. 6th edition. New Delhi: Elsevier; 2014
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 23 Postert T, Pöhlau D, Meves S, Nastos I, Przuntek H. Pathological yawning as a symptom of multiple sclerosis. J Neurol 1996; 243 (03) 300-301
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Yankovsky AE, Andermann F, Dubeau F. Post-ictal forceful yawning in a patient with nondominant hemisphere epilepsy. Epileptic Disord 2006; 8 (01) 65-69
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Jacome DE. Compulsive yawning as migraine premonitory symptom. Cephalalgia 2001; 21 (05) 623-625
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 26 Shoup-Knox ML, Gallup AC, Gallup GG, McNay EC. Yawning and stretching predict brain temperature changes in rats: support for the thermoregulatory hypothesis. Front Evol Neurosci 2010; 2: 108
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Gallup AC, Miller ML, Clark AB. Yawning and thermoregulation in budgerigars (Melopsittacusundulatus). Anim Behav 2009; 77: 109-113
    CrossrefSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Gallup AC, Gallup Jr GG. Yawning as a brain cooling mechanism: Nasal breathing and forehead cooling diminish the incidence of contagious yawning. Evol Psychol 2007; 5: 92-101
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 29 Lehmann HE. Yawning. A homeostatic reflex and its psychological significance. Bull Menninger Clin 1979; 43 (02) 123-126
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 30 Santori S. De Statica Medicinaet de Responsionead Staticomasticem. Aphorismorum Sectionibus Septem Comprehensa, Italy: MA Brogiollo; 1634. 71
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 31 Walusinski O. Why do we yawn? Past and current hypotheses. Chapter 16. In: Shoja MM, Agutter PS, Tubbs RS, Ghanei M, Ghabili K, Harris A, Loukas M. eds. Hypotheses in Clinical Medicine. France: Nova Science Publishers, Inc; 2013: 245-56
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 32 Lobo LL, Neumann BG, Eidman DS, Tufik S. Effects of REM sleep deprivation of ACTH-induced yawning. Pharmacology 1990; 40 (03) 174-178
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 33 Metis MR, Argiolas A, Gessa GL. Apomorphine-induced penile erection and yawning: site of action on the brain. Brain Res 1987; 398: 259-265
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 34 Krestel H, Bassetti CL, Walinski O, et al. Yawning: its anatomy, chemistry, role, and pathological considerations. Available at: Available at: http://www.baillement.com/recherche/yawning_pgn2018.pdf. Accessed May 25, 2020
  • 35 Norscia I, Palagi E. Yawn contagion and empathy in Homo sapiens. PLoS One 2011; 6 (12) e28472
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 36 Haker H, Rössler W. Empathy in schizophrenia: impaired resonance. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2009; 259 (06) 352-361
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 37 Senju A, Maeda M, Kikuchi Y, Hasegawa T, Tojo Y, Osanai H. Absence of contagious yawning in children with autism spectrum disorder. Biol Lett 2007; 3 (06) 706-708
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 38 Saxe R, Carey S, Kanwisher N. Understanding other minds: linking developmental psychology and functional neuroimaging. Annu Rev Psychol 2004; 55: 87-124
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 39 Campbell MW, de Waal FB. Ingroup-outgroup bias in contagious yawning by chimpanzees supports link to empathy. PLoS One 2011; 6 (04) e18283
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 40 Platek SM, Mohamed FB, Gallup Jr GG. Contagious yawning and the brain. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res 2005; 23 (2-3) 448-452
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 41 Schürmann M, Hesse MD, Stephan KE. et al. ning to yawn: the neural basis of contagious yawning. Neuroimage 2005; 24 (04) 1260-1264
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 42 Nahab FB, Hattori N, Saad ZS, Hallett M. Contagious yawning and the frontal lobe: an fMRI study. Hum Brain Mapp 2009; 30 (05) 1744-1751
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 43 Arnott SR, Singhal A, Goodale MA. An investigation of auditory contagious yawning. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci 2009; 9 (03) 335-342
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 44 Acharya S, Shukla S. Mirror neurons: Enigma of the metaphysical modular brain. J Nat Sci Biol Med 2012; 3 (02) 118-124
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 45 Rizzolatti G, Fogassi L, Gallese V. Neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the understanding and imitation of action. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2001;2:661–70. Acharya S, Shukla S. Mirror neurons: enigma of the metaphysical modular brain. J Nat Sci Biol Med 2012; 3 (02) 118-124
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 46 Decety J, Jackson PL. The functional architecture of human empathy. Behav Cogn Neurosci Rev 2004; 3 (02) 71-100
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 47 Gallese V, Goldman A. Mirror neurons and the simulation theory of mind-reading. Trends Cogn Sci 1998; 2 (12) 493-501
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 48 Gallese V. The “shared manifold” hypothesis: from mirror neurons to empathy. J Conscious Stud 2001; 8: 33-50
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 49 Brown BJ, Kim S, Saunders H. et al. A neural basis for contagious yawning. Curr Biol 2017; 27 (17) 2713-2717.e2
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 50 Ramirez V, Ryan CP, Eldakar OT, Gallup AC. Manipulating neck temperature alters contagious yawning in humans. Physiol Behav 2019; 207: 86-89
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 51 Calder C. What is it about yawning? The conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/what-is-it-about-yawning-98292. Accessed May 25, 2020