Contagious Itch (AUDIO) Washington University School of Medicine Your browser does not support the audio element. Caption Things like laughing, yawning and itching can be socially contagious. That is, if you see a person yawn, you might start yawning, too. Or if a group of people is laughing, you might start to laugh, too. And the same thing is true for scratching. In the past, many researchers have thought the phenomenon is "all in your mind," but now a research team at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that, at least in mice, contagious itching is hard-wired into the brain. Jim Dryden reports... Credit Washington University BioMed Radio Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.