Frequent yawning as an initial signal of fever relief

Abstract

Research suggests that yawning provides a brain cooling function in homeotherms, and that excessive yawning may be a useful diagnostic indicator of abnormal thermoregulation in humans. Accordingly, the frequency of yawning should increase during instances of hyperthermia, but not fever (i.e., pyrexia), since this represents an elevation in the homeostatic set point rather than thermoregulatory failure. To our knowledge, no research has investigated the association between yawning frequency and fever in humans. Here we present the hypothesis that frequent yawning could be used as an initial signal for fever relief, either through the effectiveness of antipyretics or the natural break of a fever. Applications of this research include the improved behavioral monitoring of patients.