Yawning as a complication of electroconvulsive therapy and concurrent neuroleptic withdrawal.

Among the various reported neuropsychological effects of electroconvulsive therapy are amnesia, delirium, peripheral neuropathy, headaches, and seizures. A case history is presented that describes a previously unreported neurological sequela: the development of intractable yawning during a course of electroconvulsive therapy. Neuropathophysiological mechanisms possibly relating to this phenomenon are discussed.