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First evidence of contagious yawning in a wild lemur. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03284-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Gallup AC, Wozny S. Interspecific Contagious Yawning in Humans. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12151908. [PMID: 35892558 PMCID: PMC9332820 DOI: 10.3390/ani12151908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Contagious yawning has been observed in humans and a growing number of social vertebrates. While the majority of studies on yawn contagion have documented this phenomenon amongst conspecifics, there is also evidence for interspecific contagious yawning among non-human animals in captivity. This study was the first to formally investigate whether humans also yawn in response to yawns from different species. In particular, participants were exposed to yawning stimuli either from (1) fish, (2) amphibians, (3) reptiles, (4) birds, (5) non-primate mammals, (6) apes, or (7) domesticated cats and dogs. Overall, the results provide strong support for interspecific contagious yawning in humans, with 69% reporting yawn contagion during testing. This response was not altered by phylogenetic proximity or domestication, suggesting that the mechanisms governing yawn contagion are generalized, and can be triggered by varied representations of yawning across diverse taxa. Abstract Contagious yawning, or the reflexive tendency to yawn following the detection of yawning in others, is well-documented among humans and a growing number of social vertebrates. While the most common form of yawn contagion occurs between conspecifics, some non-human animals in captivity have been reported to yawn in response to yawns from human handlers/caregivers. The current research sought to provide the first formal investigation of whether people yawn contagiously in response to yawns from non-human animals. In addition, this study aimed to test whether this response was modulated by phylogenetic relatedness and domestication/social closeness. A total of 296 participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk self-reported on their yawning behavior following exposure to a (1) control (non-yawning) condition or a compilation of yawning stimuli either from (2) fish, (3) amphibians, (4) reptiles, (5) birds, (6) non-primate mammals, (7) apes, or (8) domesticated cats and dogs. The results provide strong support for interspecific yawn contagion. However, neither the propensity to yawn (binary) nor total yawn frequency varied significantly across interspecific conditions. Overall, these findings suggest that the mechanisms governing yawn contagion can be activated by varied forms of yawning stimuli, including those from distantly related and unfamiliar species.
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3
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Hong JM, Choi ES, Park SY. Selective Brain Cooling: A New Horizon of Neuroprotection. Front Neurol 2022; 13:873165. [PMID: 35795804 PMCID: PMC9251464 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.873165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic hypothermia (TH), which prevents irreversible neuronal necrosis and ischemic brain damage, has been proven effective for preventing ischemia-reperfusion injury in post-cardiac arrest syndrome and neonatal encephalopathy in both animal studies and clinical trials. However, lowering the whole-body temperature below 34°C can lead to severe systemic complications such as cardiac, hematologic, immunologic, and metabolic side effects. Although the brain accounts for only 2% of the total body weight, it consumes 20% of the body's total energy at rest and requires a continuous supply of glucose and oxygen to maintain function and structural integrity. As such, theoretically, temperature-controlled selective brain cooling (SBC) may be more beneficial for brain ischemia than systemic pan-ischemia. Various SBC methods have been introduced to selectively cool the brain while minimizing systemic TH-related complications. However, technical setbacks of conventional SBCs, such as insufficient cooling power and relatively expensive coolant and/or irritating effects on skin or mucosal interfaces, limit its application to various clinical settings. This review aimed to integrate current literature on SBC modalities with promising therapeutic potential. Further, future directions were discussed by exploring studies on interesting coping skills in response to environmental or stress-induced hyperthermia among wild animals, including mammals and birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Man Hong
- Department of Neurology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Ji Man Hong
| | - Eun Sil Choi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, South Korea
| | - So Young Park
- Department of Neurology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, South Korea
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Menin D, Ballardini E, Panebianco R, Garani G, Borgna-Pignatti C, Oster H, Dondi M. Factors affecting yawning frequencies in preterm neonates. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268083. [PMID: 35522682 PMCID: PMC9075618 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Yawning is a long neglected behavioral pattern, but it has recently gained an increasing interdisciplinary attention for its theoretical implications as well as for its potential use as a clinical marker, with particular regard to perinatal neurobehavioral assessment. The present study investigated the factors affecting yawning frequencies in hospitalized preterm neonates (N = 58), in order to distinguish the effects of hunger and sleep-related modulations and to examine the possible impact of demographic and clinical variables on yawning frequencies. Results showed that preterm neonates yawned more often before than after feeding, and this modulation was not explained by the amount of time spent in quiet sleep in the two conditions. Moreover, second born twins, known to be more prone to neonatal mortality and morbidity, showed increased yawning rates compared to first born twins. Overall, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that yawning frequencies in preterm neonates are modulated by separate mechanisms, related e.g. to hunger, vigilance and stress. These findings, although preliminary and based only on behavioral data, might indicate that several distinct neuropharmacological pathways that have been found to be involved in yawn modulation in adults are already observable in preterm neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Menin
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elisa Ballardini
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberta Panebianco
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | | | - Harriet Oster
- School of Professional Studies, New York University, New York City, New York, United States of America
| | - Marco Dondi
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- * E-mail:
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5
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Doelman CJ, Rijken JA. Reply to letter to the editor regarding “yawning and airway physiology: a scoping review and novel hypothesis”. Sleep Breath 2022; 27:683-686. [DOI: 10.1007/s11325-022-02628-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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6
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7
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The evidence does not support long-term oxygenation as a functional explanation for the evolution of yawning. Sleep Breath 2022; 27:679-682. [DOI: 10.1007/s11325-022-02627-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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8
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Menin D, Aureli T, Dondi M. Two forms of yawning modulation in three months old infants during the Face to Face Still Face paradigm. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263510. [PMID: 35120177 PMCID: PMC8815912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The last decades have seen an increasing interest in the phenomenon of yawning and the dynamics of its modulation, yet no widespread consensus exists on its origins and potential functions. Although most scholars have focused on its potential physiological functions, e.g., related to thermoregulation, arousal modulation or cortisol levels and distress, an emerging line of research has been also investigating the social implications of yawning, including its hypothesized relationship with empathy. In order to explore the dynamics of yawning modulation in infants, we investigated whether a social perturbation–like the one induced by the Face to Face Still Face paradigm, a procedure designed to assess socio-emotional regulation in infants–affects yawning and self-touch hand movements behavior in three-months old infants. As the Still Face episode represents a source of mild distress, we hypothesized that during this phase yawns would be more frequent. Moreover, through the use of path analysis, we investigated potential dynamics of facilitation, inhibition or covariance between the frequencies of these behavioral patterns. Our results showed a sharp increase in self-touch hand movements as well as in the likelihood of yawning during the stressful phase of the procedure (still-face) compared with the two minutes of face-to-face interaction and the reunion episode. Regressions also showed a higher incidence of yawns among girls, consistently with the hypothesis that the analysis of yawning behavior might capture subtle differences in regulatory strategies of infants, possibly related to the transient sex-specific activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis known as mini-puberty. The path analysis showed a greater consistency between the frequencies of self-touch hand movements during the three episodes of the procedure, compared with yawning. This finding could be a result of distinct yawning-regulating mechanisms being at play in different conditions, e.g., a modulation related to stress and one to social interaction. Taken together, these results suggest that human yawning regulation is an irreducibly complex and multifaceted phenomenon since early age. Moreover, the gender differences highlighted might suggest an early diversification in yawning modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Menin
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Tiziana Aureli
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Imaging e Scienze cliniche, Università di Chieti-Pescara G. d’Annunzio, Chieti, Italy
| | - Marco Dondi
- Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
- * E-mail:
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9
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Abstract
Breathing is a critical, complex, and highly integrated behavior. Normal rhythmic breathing, also referred to as eupnea, is interspersed with different breathing related behaviors. Sighing is one of such behaviors, essential for maintaining effective gas exchange by preventing the gradual collapse of alveoli in the lungs, known as atelectasis. Critical for the generation of both sighing and eupneic breathing is a region of the medulla known as the preBötzinger Complex (preBötC). Efforts are underway to identify the cellular pathways that link sighing as well as sneezing, yawning, and hiccupping with other brain regions to better understand how they are integrated and regulated in the context of other behaviors including chemosensation, olfaction, and cognition. Unraveling these interactions may provide important insights into the diverse roles of these behaviors in the initiation of arousal, stimulation of vigilance, and the relay of certain behavioral states. This chapter focuses primarily on the function of the sigh, how it is locally generated within the preBötC, and what the functional implications are for a potential link between sighing and cognitive regulation. Furthermore, we discuss recent insights gained into the pathways and mechanisms that control yawning, sneezing, and hiccupping.
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10
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People that score high on psychopathic traits are less likely to yawn contagiously. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23779. [PMID: 34893649 PMCID: PMC8664845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03159-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable variation exists in the contagiousness of yawning, and numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the proximate mechanisms involved in this response. Yet, findings within the psychological literature are mixed, with many studies conducted on relatively small and homogeneous samples. Here, we aimed to replicate and extend upon research suggesting a negative relationship between psychopathic traits and yawn contagion in community samples. In the largest study of contagious yawning to date (N = 458), which included both university students and community members from across 50 nationalities, participants completed an online study in which they self-reported on their yawn contagion to a video stimulus and completed four measures of psychopathy: the primary and secondary psychopathy scales from the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRPS), the psychopathy construct from the Dirty Dozen, and the Psychopathic Personality Traits Scale (PPTS). Results support previous findings in that participants that yawned contagiously tended to score lower on the combined and primary measures of psychopathy. That said, tiredness was the strongest predictor across all models. These findings align with functional accounts of spontaneous and contagious yawning and a generalized impairment in overall patterns of behavioral contagion and biobehavioral synchrony among people high in psychopathic traits.
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12
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Massen JJM, Hartlieb M, Martin JS, Leitgeb EB, Hockl J, Kocourek M, Olkowicz S, Zhang Y, Osadnik C, Verkleij JW, Bugnyar T, Němec P, Gallup AC. Brain size and neuron numbers drive differences in yawn duration across mammals and birds. Commun Biol 2021; 4:503. [PMID: 33958700 PMCID: PMC8102614 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02019-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that yawning evolved as a brain cooling mechanism. Given that larger brains have greater thermolytic needs and brain temperature is determined in part by heat production from neuronal activity, it was hypothesized that animals with larger brains and more neurons would yawn longer to produce comparable cooling effects. To test this, we performed the largest study on yawning ever conducted, analyzing 1291 yawns from 101 species (55 mammals; 46 birds). Phylogenetically controlled analyses revealed robust positive correlations between yawn duration and (1) brain mass, (2) total neuron number, and (3) cortical/pallial neuron number in both mammals and birds, which cannot be attributed solely to allometric scaling rules. These relationships were similar across clades, though mammals exhibited considerably longer yawns than birds of comparable brain and body mass. These findings provide further evidence suggesting that yawning is a thermoregulatory adaptation that has been conserved across amniote evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorg J M Massen
- Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Margarita Hartlieb
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jordan S Martin
- Human Ecology Group, Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elisabeth B Leitgeb
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jasmin Hockl
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Kocourek
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Seweryn Olkowicz
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Yicheng Zhang
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Christin Osadnik
- Department of General Zoology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Jorrit W Verkleij
- Animal Behaviour and Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pavel Němec
- Department of Zoology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Andrew C Gallup
- Psychology Program, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica, NY, USA.
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13
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van Berlo E, Díaz-Loyo AP, Juárez-Mora OE, Kret ME, Massen JJM. Experimental evidence for yawn contagion in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). Sci Rep 2020; 10:22251. [PMID: 33335177 PMCID: PMC7747555 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79160-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Yawning is highly contagious, yet both its proximate mechanism(s) and its ultimate causation remain poorly understood. Scholars have suggested a link between contagious yawning (CY) and sociality due to its appearance in mostly social species. Nevertheless, as findings are inconsistent, CY’s function and evolution remains heavily debated. One way to understand the evolution of CY is by studying it in hominids. Although CY has been found in chimpanzees and bonobos, but is absent in gorillas, data on orangutans are missing despite them being the least social hominid. Orangutans are thus interesting for understanding CY’s phylogeny. Here, we experimentally tested whether orangutans yawn contagiously in response to videos of conspecifics yawning. Furthermore, we investigated whether CY was affected by familiarity with the yawning individual (i.e. a familiar or unfamiliar conspecific and a 3D orangutan avatar). In 700 trials across 8 individuals, we found that orangutans are more likely to yawn in response to yawn videos compared to control videos of conspecifics, but not to yawn videos of the avatar. Interestingly, CY occurred regardless of whether a conspecific was familiar or unfamiliar. We conclude that CY was likely already present in the last common ancestor of humans and great apes, though more converging evidence is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evy van Berlo
- Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. .,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Alejandra P Díaz-Loyo
- Laboratorio de Ecología de La Conducta, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Oscar E Juárez-Mora
- Laboratorio de Ecología de La Conducta, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Mariska E Kret
- Institute of Psychology, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jorg J M Massen
- Department of Biology, Animal Ecology Group, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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14
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honamchi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
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15
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Laméris DW, van Berlo E, Sterck EHM, Bionda T, Kret ME. Low relationship quality predicts scratch contagion during tense situations in orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23138. [PMID: 32333423 PMCID: PMC7379188 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Primates show various forms of behavioral contagion that are stronger between kin and friends. As a result, behavioral contagion is thought to promote group coordination, social cohesion, and possibly state matching. Aside from contagious yawning, little is known about the contagious effect of other behaviors. Scratching is commonly observed during arousal and as such may play a role within group dynamics. While the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is commonly considered the least social great ape, orangutans do engage in social interactions. Therefore, their social organization makes them a suitable case for studying the social function of behavioral contagion. Through behavioral observations of captive orangutans, we recorded all yawn and scratch events together with the corresponding behavior of all bystander group-members. As yawning was rarely observed, no conclusions could be drawn regarding this behavior. Scratching was contagious and occurred within 90 s after the triggering scratch. Specifically, orangutans showed increased scratch contagion when they had seen a weakly bonded individual scratch during tense contexts. When the orangutan had not seen the triggering scratch, the contagiousness of scratching was not affected by context or relationship quality. Our results indicate that behavioral contagion is not simply higher between individuals with stronger social relationships, but that the contagiousness of behaviors may vary based on the context and on social factors. We discuss these findings in light of an adaptive function that may reduce aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daan W Laméris
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Biology, Animal Ecology Research Group, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Evy van Berlo
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth H M Sterck
- Department of Biology, Animal Ecology Research Group, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Science, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mariska E Kret
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Cognitive Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Norscia I, Zanoli A, Gamba M, Palagi E. Auditory Contagious Yawning Is Highest Between Friends and Family Members: Support to the Emotional Bias Hypothesis. Front Psychol 2020; 11:442. [PMID: 32317997 PMCID: PMC7147458 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Contagious yawning differs from spontaneous yawning because it occurs when an individual yawns in response to someone else’s yawn. In Homo sapiens and some non-human primates contagious yawning is higher between strongly than weakly bonded individuals. Up to date, it is still unclear whether this social asymmetry underlies emotional contagion (a basic form of empathy preferentially involving familiar individuals) as predicted by the Emotional Bias Hypothesis (EBH) or is linked to a top-down, selective visual attention bias (with selective attention being preferentially directed toward familiar faces) as predicted by the Attentional Bias Hypothesis (ABH). To verify whether the visual attentional bias explained the yawn contagion bias or not, in this study, we considered only yawns that could be heard but not seen by potential responders (auditory yawns). Around 294 of auditory yawning occurrences were extrapolated from over 2000 yawning bouts collected in free ranging humans for over nine years. Via GLMM, we tested the effect of intrinsic features (i.e., gender and age) and social bond (from strangers to family members) on yawn. The individual identity of the subjects (trigger and potential responder) was included as random factor. The social bond significantly predicted the occurrence of auditory yawn contagion, which was highest between friends and family members. A gender bias was also observed, with women responding most frequently to others’ yawns and men being responded to most frequently by others. These results confirm that social bond is per se one of the main drivers of the differences in yawn contagion rates between individuals in support of the EBH of yawn contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Norscia
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, School of Nature Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Anna Zanoli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, School of Nature Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, School of Nature Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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17
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Gallup AC, Moscatello L, Massen JJM. Brain weight predicts yawn duration across domesticated dog breeds. Curr Zool 2019; 66:401-405. [PMID: 32617088 PMCID: PMC7319467 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research shows that yawning enhances intracranial circulation and regulates brain temperature. Consistent with these functional outcomes, yawn duration correlates positively with interspecies variation in brain weight across mammals, with robust relationships documented at both the taxonomic rank of class and the more restricted scale of family (e.g., Felidae). This study provides the first investigation into whether differences in brain weight within a single species, domesticated dogs Canis lupus familiaris, can predict intraspecific variation in yawn duration. Measures of yawn duration were obtained from public videos available online and then paired with previously published brain and body weight data of different dog breeds. The final sample consisted of 272 yawns from 198 dogs across 23 breeds. Consistent with recent studies, we find robust correlations between yawn duration and brain weight across breeds. Moreover, these correlations remain significant after controlling for differences in body weight across breeds. These findings replicate and extend upon past work in this area and provide further support that yawns evolved to serve an important and large-scale neurophysiologic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Gallup
- Psychology Program, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica, NY, 13502, USA
| | - Lea Moscatello
- Department of Psychology, SUNY College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, 13820, USA
| | - Jorg J M Massen
- Animal Ecology Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Utrecht, CH, 3584, The Netherlands
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18
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Ramirez V, Ryan CP, Eldakar OT, Gallup AC. Manipulating neck temperature alters contagious yawning in humans. Physiol Behav 2019; 207:86-89. [PMID: 31022409 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The existence of yawning across a diverse array of species has led many researchers to postulate its neurological significance. One hypothesis, which has garnered recent support, posits that yawns function to cool the brain by flushing hyperthermic blood away from the skull while simultaneously introducing a cooler arterial supply. The current study tested this hypothesis by examining how manipulations aimed at modifying carotid artery temperature, which in turn directly alters cranial temperature, influences contagious yawning in humans. Participants held either a warm (46 °C), cold (4 °C) or room temperature (22 °C) pack firmly to their neck, just over their carotid arteries, for a period of five minutes prior to watching a contagious yawning stimulus. Thermographic imaging verified that these manipulations produced predicted changes in temperature at the superomedial orbital area, a region previously used as a noninvasive measure of brain temperature (i.e., the brain temperature tunnel). As predicted by past research, both the urge to yawn and overall yawn frequency significantly diminished in the cooling condition (p < .05). Less than half (48.5%) of the participants in the cooling condition reported the urge to yawn, while this urge was expressed by the vast majority of participants in the warming condition (84.8%). Moreover, there was a threefold difference in the mean number of yawns per participant between the cooling and warming conditions (0.364 compared to 1.121). These findings are consistent with previous research indicating that yawns function as a compensatory brain cooling mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Ramirez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, United States
| | - Colleen P Ryan
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
| | - Omar Tonsi Eldakar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, United States; Psychology Program, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, United States
| | - Andrew C Gallup
- Department of Biological Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, United States; Psychology Program, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, United States.
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Gallup AC, Herron E, Militello J, Swartwood L, Cortes C, Eguibar JR. Thermal imaging reveals sizable shifts in facial temperature surrounding yawning in budgerigars ( Melopsittacus undulatus). Temperature (Austin) 2017; 4:429-435. [PMID: 29435482 DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2017.1373896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating comparative and interdisciplinary research supports a brain cooling function to yawning. In particular, previous research has shown significant decreases in both brain and skull temperature following yawning in mammals. In a recent study using a thermal imaging camera, significant reductions in both the cornea and concha temperature were observed following yawns in the high-yawning subline of Sprague-Dawley rats. Here, we performed a similar experiment to investigate shifts in facial temperature surrounding yawning in an avian species with more typical yawning patterns: budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). In particular, we took maximal surface temperature recordings from the face (cere or eye) from 13 birds over a one-hour period to track changes before and after yawns. Similar to previous findings in high-yawning rats, we identified significant cooling (-0.36°C) of the face 10-20 seconds following yawning in budgerigars. Consistent with the hypothesis that yawns serve a thermoregulatory function, facial temperatures were slightly elevated just prior to yawning and then decreased significantly below baseline levels immediately thereafter. Similarly, birds that yawned during the trials had consistently higher facial temperatures compared to those that did not yawn. Moreover, yawn latency and overall yawn frequency were strongly correlated with the highest facial temperature recorded from each bird across trials. These results provide convergent evidence in support of a brain cooling function to yawning, and further validate the use of thermal imaging to monitor changes in skull temperature surrounding yawning events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Gallup
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Utica, NY, USA
| | - Elaine Herron
- Department of Psychology, SUNY College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, USA
| | - Janine Militello
- Department of Psychology, SUNY College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, USA
| | | | - Carmen Cortes
- Institute of Physiology, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Jose R Eguibar
- Institute of Physiology, Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico.,Research Office of the Vice-Rectory of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
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Yawning, a thermoregulatory mechanism during fever? A study of yawning frequency and its predictors during experimentally induced sickness. Physiol Behav 2017; 182:27-33. [PMID: 28939427 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Yawning has been proposed to serve both physiological and social functions, the latter likely to have developed later in its evolution. A central hypothesis is that yawning cools the brain but whether yawning is a thermoregulatory mechanism that is activated during hyperthermia (i.e., thermoregulatory failure) or is activated in any instance of brain temperature increase (e.g., also during fever) is unclear and experimental assessments of yawning during fever are lacking. In this study, we determined the effect of experimentally induced fever on yawning frequency. We also explored alternative predictors of yawning during sickness (sleepiness, autonomic nervous system indexes and sickness symptoms). Twenty-two healthy human subjects participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, where the subjects received an injection of the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a dose of 2ng/kg body weight in one condition and placebo in the other. Yawning was scored from video recordings from 30min before to 4h after the injection. Body temperature was measured frequently, alongside with heart rate, blood pressure, nausea and overall sickness symptoms. Yawning frequency was found to significantly increase over time during experimentally induced sickness, but not in the placebo condition. In particular, yawning frequency was increased during the rising phase of body temperature induced by LPS administration, although no significant correlation was found between body temperature increase and yawning frequency. In addition, exploratory analyses showed that a higher yawning frequency was associated with less increase in sickness symptoms and nausea intensity. While the current study adds to previous research showing significant increase in yawning frequency during hyperthermia, further studies are needed if we are to properly characterize the brain cooling role of yawning in humans. The investigation of other functions, such as being a vasovagal inhibitory, may shed stronger light on the functions of yawning.
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Massen JJ, Gallup AC. Why contagious yawning does not (yet) equate to empathy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:573-585. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Abstract
Contagious yawning—the urge to yawn when thinking about, listening to, or viewing yawning—is a well-documented phenomenon in humans and animals. The reduced yawn contagion observed in the autistic population suggested that it might be empathy related; however, it is unknown whether such a connection applies to nonclinical populations. We examined influences from both empathy (i.e., autistic traits) and nonempathy factors (i.e., individuals’ perceptual detection sensitivity to yawning, happy, and angry faces) on 41 nonclinical adults. We induced contagious yawning with a 5-minute video and 20 yawning photo stimuli. In addition, we measured participants’ autistic traits (with the autism-spectrum quotient questionnaire), eye gaze patterns, and their perceptual thresholds to detect yawning and emotion in human face photos. We found two factors associated with yawning contagion: (a) those more sensitive to detect yawning, but not other emotional expressions, displayed more contagious yawning than those less sensitive to yawning expressions, and (b) female participants exhibited significantly more contagious yawning than male participants. We did not find an association between autistic trait and contagious yawning. Our study offers a working hypothesis for future studies, in that perceptual encoding of yawning interacts with susceptibility to contagious yawning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chia-Huei Tseng
- Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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Acute Physical Stress Modulates the Temporal Expression of Self-Reported Contagious Yawning in Humans. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-017-0060-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Eguibar JR, Uribe CA, Cortes C, Bautista A, Gallup AC. Yawning reduces facial temperature in the high-yawning subline of Sprague-Dawley rats. BMC Neurosci 2017; 18:3. [PMID: 28049450 PMCID: PMC5209817 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-016-0330-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Accepted: 12/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Yawning is a stereotyped behavior that enhances blood flow to the skull, and the resulting counterflow has been hypothesized as a mechanism for brain cooling. Studies have shown that yawns are strongly associated with physiological and pathological conditions that increase brain temperature, and that they are followed by equivalent decreases in brain temperature. However, measured reductions in cranial or facial temperatures following yawning have yet to be reported, to our knowledge. To accomplish this, we used a subline of Sprague-Dawley rats that yawn at a much greater rate (20 yawns/h) than do outbred Sprague-Dawley rats (2 yawns/h). RESULTS Using an infrared camera, we effectively evaluated thermal changes in the cornea and concha of these rats before, during, and after yawns. The maximum temperature in both regions significantly decreased 10 s following yawns (concha: -0.3 °C, cornea: -0.4 °C), with a return to basal temperatures after 20 s. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first clear demonstration of yawning-induced thermal cooling on the surface of the face, providing convergent evidence that this behavior plays a functional role in thermoregulation. As other studies have demonstrated that yawning is capable of reducing cortical brain temperature, our current data support the idea that yawning functions as a thermoregulator, affecting all structures within the head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose R. Eguibar
- Research Office of the Vice Rectory of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, 4 Sur # 104. Col. Centro, 72000 Puebla, Pue. Mexico
- Institute of Physiology, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Apdo. Postal 5-66, Col. Prados Agua Azul, 72430 Puebla, Pue. Mexico
| | - Carlos A. Uribe
- Institute of Physiology, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Apdo. Postal 5-66, Col. Prados Agua Azul, 72430 Puebla, Pue. Mexico
| | - Carmen Cortes
- Institute of Physiology, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Apdo. Postal 5-66, Col. Prados Agua Azul, 72430 Puebla, Pue. Mexico
| | - Amando Bautista
- Centro Tlaxcala de Biología de la Conducta, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
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Gallup AC, Massen JJM. There is no difference in contagious yawning between men and women. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160174. [PMID: 27708435 PMCID: PMC5043303 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C. Gallup
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, USA
| | - Jorg J. M. Massen
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Norscia I, Demuru E, Palagi E. Difference in contagious yawning between susceptible men and women: why not? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160477. [PMID: 27727332 PMCID: PMC5043328 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Norscia
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci, Pisa 56011, Italy
| | - Elisa Demuru
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci, Pisa 56011, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Palagi
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci, Pisa 56011, Italy
- Unità di Primatologia Cognitiva, ISTC-CNR, via Aldrovandi 16b, 00197 Roma, Italy
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Massen JJM, Šlipogor V, Gallup AC. An Observational Investigation of Behavioral Contagion in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus): Indications for Contagious Scent-Marking. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1190. [PMID: 27563294 PMCID: PMC4980586 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral contagion is suggested to promote group coordination that may facilitate activity transitions, increased vigilance, and state matching. Apart from contagious yawning, however, very little attention has been given to this phenomenon, and studies on contagious yawning in primates have so far only focused on Old World monkeys and apes. Here we studied behavioral contagion in common marmosets, a species for which group coordination and vigilance are paramount. In particular, we investigated the contagiousness of yawning, stretching, scratching, tongue protrusion, gnawing, and scent-marking. We coded these behaviors from 14 adult marmosets, from two different social groups. During testing sessions, animals were separated into groups of four individuals for 20-min observation periods, across three distinct diurnal time points (morning, midday, and afternoon) to test for circadian patterns. We observed almost no yawning (0.12 yawns/h) and very little stretching behavior. For all other behaviors, which were more common, we found several temporal and inter-individual differences (i.e., sex, age, dominance status) predictive of these responses. Moreover, we found that gnawing and scent-marking, which almost always co-occurred as a fixed-action pattern, were highly temporally clustered within observation sessions. We discuss the relative absence of yawning in marmosets as well as the possible function of contagious scent-marking, and provide suggestions for future research into the proximate and ultimate functions of these behaviors in marmosets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorg J. M. Massen
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of ViennaVienna, Austria
| | - Vedrana Šlipogor
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of ViennaVienna, Austria
| | - Andrew C. Gallup
- Psychology Department, State University of New York at OneontaOneonta, NY, USA
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Massen JJM, Church AM, Gallup AC. Auditory Contagious Yawning in Humans: An Investigation into Affiliation and Status Effects. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1735. [PMID: 26617557 PMCID: PMC4636538 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
While comparative research on contagious yawning has grown substantially in the past few years, both the interpersonal factors influencing this response and the sensory modalities involved in its activation in humans remain relatively unknown. Extending upon previous studies showing various in-group and status effects in non-human great apes, we performed an initial study to investigate how the political affiliation (Democrat vs. Republican) and status (high vs. low) of target stimuli influences auditory contagious yawning, as well as the urge to yawn, in humans. Self-report responses and a subset of video recordings were analyzed from 118 undergraduate students in the US following exposure to either breathing (control) or yawning (experimental) vocalizations paired with images of former US Presidents (high status) and their respective Cabinet Secretaries of Commerce (low status). The overall results validate the use of auditory stimuli to prompt yawn contagion, with greater response in the experimental than the control condition. There was also a negative effect of political status on self-reported yawning and the self-reported urge to yawn irrespective of the condition. In contrast, we found no evidence for a political affiliation bias in this response. These preliminary findings are discussed in terms of the existing comparative evidence, though we highlight limitations in the current investigation and we provide suggestions for future research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorg J M Massen
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna , Vienna, Austria
| | - Allyson M Church
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oneonta , Oneonta, NY, USA
| | - Andrew C Gallup
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Oneonta , Oneonta, NY, USA ; Psychology Program, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson , NY, USA
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30
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Gallup
- Psychology Department, State University of New York at Oneonta Oneonta, NY, USA
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Gallup AC, Swartwood L, Militello J, Sackett S. Experimental evidence of contagious yawning in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). Anim Cogn 2015; 18:1051-8. [PMID: 26012708 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-015-0873-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Experimental evidence of contagious yawning has only been documented in four mammalian species. Here, we report the results from two separate experimental studies designed to investigate the presence of contagious yawning in a social parrot, the budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus). In Study 1, birds were paired in adjacent cages with and without visual barriers, and the temporal association of yawning was assessed between visual conditions. In Study 2, the same birds were exposed to video stimuli of both conspecific yawns and control behavior, and yawning frequency was compared between conditions. Results from both studies demonstrate that yawning is contagious. To date, this is the first experimental evidence of contagious yawning in a non-mammalian species. We propose that future research could use budgerigars to explore questions related to basic forms of empathic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Gallup
- Psychology Department, State University of New York at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, 13820, USA,
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Eldakar OT, Dauzonne M, Prilutzkaya Y, Garcia D, Thadal C, Gallup AC. Temperature-Dependent Variation in Self-Reported Contagious Yawning. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-015-0024-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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