Yawning in a case with transsecting glioma of the pons
Gschwend, J.
Fortschritte der Neurologie Psychiatrie und Ihrer Grenzgebiete 45(12): 652-655
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-8194 PMID: 245328 Document Number: 123883
A patient with pons glioma became completely tetraplegic and plegic in all muscles innervated by the caudal brainstem nerves (locked-in syndrome). He could not open or close the mouth, but he was able to yawn. The motivation of yawning stems from the sleep inducing system in the region of the raphe-nuclei and is projected directly to the nuclei of the caudal brainstem nerves.