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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2007;78:1253-1254 doi:10.1136/jnnp.2006.111906
  • Short report
    • Short report

Yawning in acute anterior circulation stroke

  1. Oliver C Singer1,
  2. Marek C Humpich1,
  3. Heiner Lanfermann2,
  4. Tobias Neumann-Haefelin1
  1. 1
    Department of Neurology, JW Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
  2. 2
    Institute for Neuroradiology, JW Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany
  1. Dr Oliver Singer, Department of Neurology, JW Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Schleusenweg 2-16, D-60528 Frankfurt/Main, Germany; o.singer{at}em.uni-frankfurt.de
  • Received 24 November 2006
  • Revised 11 January 2007
  • Accepted 3 February 2007

Abstract

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.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Abbreviations:
    BA
    Brodman area
    MCA
    middle cerebral artery
    NIHSS
    National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale
    PVN
    paraventricular nucleus

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