Sex-differences of
yawning contagion among chimpanzees
Yawn contagion is not restricted to humans and has
also been reported for several non-human animal species,
including chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Contagious
yawning may lead to synchronisation of behaviour.
However, the function of contagious yawning is relatively
understudied. In this study, the authors investigated the
function of contagious yawning by focusing on two types
of signal providers: close social associates and
leaders.
They provided a captive chimpanzee colony with videos
of all individuals of their own group that were either
yawning, or at rest. Consistent with other studies, they
demonstrated that yawning is contagious for chimpanzees,
yet they did not find any effect of relationship quality
on yawn contagion.
However, they show that yawn contagion is
significantly higher when the video model is a yawning
male than when the video model was a yawning female, and
that this effect is most apparent among males. As males
are dominant in chimpanzee societies, male signals may be
more relevant to the rest of the group than female
signals. Moreover, since chimpanzees form male-bonded
societies, male signals are especially relevant for other
males. Therefore, they suggest that the sex-differences
of yawning contagion among chimpanzees reflect the
function of yawning in the synchronisation of
behaviour.
A yawn response during presentation of a yawn
videotape. Ai watches a yawn on the screen (top left),
starts to yawn as the stimulus yawn ends (top right),
continues to yawn (bottom left), and completes the yawn
while the screen is blank (bottom right) See
the video (
byAnderson
JR et al Contagious yawning in chimpanzees The Royal
Society Biology Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2004;271
Suppl 6:S468-470)
De la
différence sexuelle de la contagiosité du
bâillement chez les
chimpanzés
La réplication du bâillement (cf
contagion) n'est pas restreinte à l'homme mais
existe également chez le chimpanzé. Ce type
de replication peut servir à une synchonisation
des comportements. Dans cette étude, les auteurs
ont cherché à trouver une explication
à la finalité de la réplication du
bâillement en se focalisant sur deux
paramètres: le rôle du dominant et celui des
autres membres d'une troupe de chimpanzés.
Ils ont surveillé tous les individus par
vidéo et analysé spécifiquement
leurs bâillements et les périodes de repos.
Ils confirment la contagiosité du bâillement
chez le chimpanzé mais n'ont pas établi
l'effet de liens de proximité sociale ou familiale
entre individus.
Les auteurs ont néanmoins établi que le
bâillement du mâle dominant se transmet plus
souvent que celui d'une femelle, et ceci est
particulièrement net entre dominant et autre
mâle.
Comme la société des chimpanzés
est hiérarchisée, ce comportement propre au
dominant doit avoir une pertinence particulière
vis à vis des autres, et les auteurs pensent que
l'effet principal est de synchroniser les comportements
entre individus d'une troupe.
-Arnott
SR et al. An investigation of auditory contagious
yawning Cognitive, Affective, Behavioral Neurosci
2009;9(3):335-342
-Anderson
JR et al Contagious yawning in chimpanzees The Royal
Society Biology Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2004; 271
Suppl 6: S468-470
-Anderson
JR et al Psychological influences on yawning in
children Current Psychology Letters Behaviour, Brain,
Cognition 2003;2:11
-Caswell TA,
The effects of status on yawning behavior. Thesis
1991
-Campbell
MW et al. Do chimpanzees yawn
contagiously in response to 3d
computer animations? 2008
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NR, Puzzo I, Pawley A Contagious yawning: the mirror
neuron system may be a candidate physiological mechanism
Medical Hyportheses 2008;71(6):975-976
-Cooper
NR, Puzzo I, et al. Bridging a yawning chasm: EEG
investigations into the debate concerning the role of the
human mirror neuron system in contagious yawning.Cogn
Affect Behav Neurosci. 2011
-Giganti F,
Ziello ME Contagious and spontaneous yawning in
autistic and typically developing children CPL 2009
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SR Coping with fear and stress: licking and yawning.
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JJ, Vermunt DA, Sterck EH. Male Yawning Is More
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I, Palagi E. Yawn Contagion and Empathy in Homo
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Reeve AV A test of the yawning contagion and
emotional connectedness hypothesis in dogs, Canis
familiaris. Animal Behaviour 2011;81:335-340
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E, Leone A, Mancini G, Ferrari PF. Contagious yawning
in gelada baboons as a possible expression of empathy.
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-Paukner A,
Anderson JR Video-induced
yawning in stumptail macaques
(Macaca arctoides) Biol Lett 2006;2(1):36-38
-Platek SM, SR
Critton, et al Contagious yawning: the role of
self-awareness and mental state attribution Cogn Brain
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-Platek S
et al. Neural correlates of self-face recognition
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A, Kikuchi Y, Akechi H et al. Does eye contact induce
contagious yawning in children with autism spectrum
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J, de Sousa L. Auditory contagious yawning in
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-Walusinski
O Echokinetic yawning, theory of mind, and empathy
ski O
Echokinetic yawning, theory of mind, and empathy
Yawning associated
with anterior chest pain in a patient with
asthma
The authors present a case of a patient with asthma
who developed yawning associated with anterior
chest pain. She was admitted due to severe anterior chest
pain, wheezing and dyspnea. Although the frequency of the
symptoms decreased, she began to experience frequent
episodes of yawning at night accompanied by tears.
While she experienced yawning, although PEF (peak
expiratory flow) decreased, no asthmatic symptoms, such
as wheezing or dyspnea were observed. The yawning
was improved markedly by bronchodilators and a
leukotriene receptor antagonist, and moderately improved
by corticosteroids. Curiosly, the authors speculated that
yawning is a clinical manifestation of asthma that
responds to treatment !
Des
bâillements associés à une douleur
thoracique au décours d'une crise
d'asthme
Les auteurs présentent une observation d'une
patiente asthmatique qui se plaint de douleurs
thoraciques associées à des
bâillements. Elle avait été
hospitalisée pour des douleurs thoraciques
antérieures sévères, une
dyspnée avec wheezing. Bien que l'intensité
des symptômes décroisse, elle se mit
à bâiller par épisodes
répétés, la nuit, avec des larmes.
Pendant ces bâillements elle n'avait aucun
symptôme d'asthme. Ces épisodes
diminuèrent de fréquence avec la prise de
bronchodiltateurs et d'antagonistes aux récepteurs
aux leucotriènes mais peu avec les
corticoïdes. Les auteurs assimilent, très
curieusement, ces bâillements à une crise
d'asthme !
Toby Gelfand (Hannah Chair for the History of
Medicine, University of Ottawa) is an esteemed expert in
the history of 19th century neurology, and in the work of
Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) in particular. In his
most recent book, Charcot in Morocco, he offers the first
English translation of Charcot's correspondence and notes
written during a week's travels in Morocco in the summer
of 1887. This slim volume provides English speakers
access to little-known material from family archives, and
Gelfand's 30 pages introduction is equally valuable,
linking the importance of Charcot's pioneering work in
neurology, his family life, and his long-standing love of
travel.
Un journal de
voyage tiré des archives de la famille de
Jean-Martin Charcot
Toby Gelfand est un expert réputé de
l'histoire de la neurologie au XIXè siècle,
et de Jean-Martin Charcot (1825-1893) en particulier. Il
nous propose maintenant un « Charcot in
Morocco », première traduction en
anglais des carnets d'un voyage d'une semaine au Maroc,
effectué par Charcot pendant l'été
1887. Ce petit livre vaut tout autant pour l'accès
qu'il donne, en anglais, à des archives familiales
peu connues que par l'introduction qu'en fait Gelfand. En
une trentaine de pages, il restitue l'importance de
l'oeuvre de pionnier en neurologie occupée par
Charcot, sa vie familiale et l'amour des voyages qu'il
manifestera toujours.
Yawning may be one of the most important mechanisms
for regulating the survival-related behaviors in mammals.
So if you want to maintain an optimally healthy brain, it
is essential that you yawn. It is true that excessive
yawning can be a sign that an underlying neurological
disorder (such as migraine, multiple sclerosis, stroke,
or drug reaction) is occurring. However, I and other
researchers suspect that yawning may be the brain attempt
to eliminate symptoms by readjusting neural
functioning.
Unfortunately, nature seems
unaware of our intellectual need for convenience and
unity, and very often takes delight in complication and
diversity.
Malheureusement, la nature
semble inconsciente de notre besoin intellectuel de
simplification et d'unicité et elle prend
très souvent plaisir en compliquant et en
diversifiant.
