Why do we yawn?

Guggisberg, Adrian G; Mathis, Johannes; Schnider, Armin; Hess, Christian W (2010). Why do we yawn? Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews, 34(8), pp. 1267-76. Oxford: Elsevier 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.03.008

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Yawning is a phylogenetically old behaviour that can be observed in most vertebrate species from foetal stages to old age. The origin and function of this conspicuous phenomenon have been subject to speculations for centuries. Here, we review the experimental evidence for each of these hypotheses. It is found that theories ascribing a physiological role to yawning (such as the respiratory, arousal, or thermoregulation hypotheses) lack evidence. Conversely, the notion that yawning has a communicative function involved in the transmission of drowsiness, boredom, or mild psychological stress receives increasing support from research in different fields. In humans and some other mammals, yawning is part of the action repertoire of advanced empathic and social skills.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Head Organs and Neurology (DKNS) > Clinic of Neurology
UniBE Contributor:	Guggisberg, Adrian (B), Mathis, Johannes, Hess, Christian Walter
ISSN:	0149-7634
Publisher:	Elsevier
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 14:08
Last Modified:	29 Mar 2023 23:31
Publisher DOI:	10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.03.008
PubMed ID:	20382180
Web of Science ID:	000284176700015
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/365 (FactScience: 197864)