Tag

Yawning

All articles tagged with #yawning

science3 hours ago•16 min saved

Yawning may cool and cleanse the brain by moving brain fluid, study finds

A UNSW study using MRI on 22 volunteers shows yawning shifts cerebrospinal fluid flow in the brain in a way that deep breaths do not, and also increases brain blood flow. This pattern could help cool the brain and aid waste clearance, suggesting yawning has a physiological function beyond signaling boredom or empathy. The yawning motions appear tightly coordinated by brainstem circuitry and often accompany swallowing. The work is a preprint and not yet peer‑reviewed, and further research is needed to confirm these findings in everyday life.

via Earth.com|

#brain-cooling #brain-fluid #cerebrospinal-fluid

science12 days ago•6 min saved

Yawns Rewire Brain Fluids, Boost Blood Flow in Surprising Way

In a 22-volunteer MRI study, yawning moved cerebrospinal fluid outward toward the spinal column and carried venous blood with it, freeing space for a surge of arterial blood—over a third more than during deep breathing. The researchers also found a unique yawning signature tied to tongue movement. They suggest yawning may be a brain-maintenance process supporting temperature regulation and waste clearance.

via Boing Boing|

#arterial-blood #cerebrospinal-fluid #mri

science13 days ago•4 min saved

Yawning Rewrites Brain Fluid Flow, MRI Study Finds

A small MRI study (22 healthy participants) shows yawning shifts cerebrospinal fluid away from the brain and briefly increases arterial inflow, unlike deep breaths. The finding suggests yawning may relate to brain maintenance or cooling, but the results are from a preprint on bioRxiv and not yet peer-reviewed.

via ScienceAlert|

#brain #cerebrospinal-fluid #mri

science1 year ago•2 min saved

"Dogs' Ability to Catch Yawns from Humans Explored"

Research shows that dogs can contagiously yawn in response to humans, similar to how humans yawn when they see, hear, or think about yawning. While some studies suggest a link between contagious yawning in dogs and empathy or social bonding, there is no scientific consensus on the exact meaning behind this behavior. Studying dog yawns is challenging due to factors such as spontaneous yawning and stress, and there is ongoing debate about whether contagious yawning in dogs is directly connected to empathy.

via The Washington Post|

#contagious-yawning #dogs #empathy

science2 years ago•2 min saved

Study Finds Correlation Between Brain Size and Yawning.

A large-scale animal study has found a correlation between brain size and the duration of yawning in vertebrates. The study collected data on 1,291 yawns from 55 mammal species and 46 bird species and found that animals with larger brains and more neurons tend to have longer-lasting yawns. The researchers suggest that yawning is an essential way of cooling down the brain, and bigger brains need longer yawns to properly cool them. The study could fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge about yawning, including why it happens in the first place and why animals such as giraffes have no need to bother with yawning at all.

via ScienceAlert|

#animal-study #brain-size #neurons