Stroke Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Stroke, including details on treatment, recovery, rehabilitation, signs, symptoms.

Yawning in acute anterior circulation stroke.

Singer OC, Humpich MC, Lanfermann H, Neumann-Haefelin T

Department of Neurology, JW Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Schleusenweg 2-16, D-60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. o.singer@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Pathological yawning can be a clinical sign in disorders affecting the brainstem. Here we describe seven patients with pathological yawning caused by acute middle cerebral artery stroke, indicating that pathological yawning also occurs in supratentorial stroke. We hypothesise that excessive yawning is a consequence of lesions in cortical or subcortical areas, which physiologically control diencephalic yawning centres.

Published 17 October 2007 in J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 78(11): 1253-4.
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