Watching your dog can wire your brain, research shows

It may sound far-fetched, but recent research suggests that the brains of dogs and humans synchronize when they look at each other.

This research, carried out by researchers in China, is the first time that “neural coupling” between different species has been observed.

Neural coupling occurs when the brain activity of two or more individuals aligns during an interaction. For humans, it is often a response to a conversation or story.

Neural coupling has been observed when members of the same species interact, including mice, bats, humans and other primates. This connection of brains is likely important for shaping responses during social encounters and could lead to complex behaviors that would not be observed in isolation, such as improved teamwork or learning.

When social species interact, their brains “connect.” But this case of it happening between different species raises interesting considerations about the intricacies of the human-dog relationship and might help us understand each other a little better.

What’s up puppy dog?

The dog was one of the first animals domesticated by man. And they have shared time and space with us for a long time. Dogs are not only companions to us, they also play a key role in our society, including therapeutic support, disease detection, protection and guarding livestock.

As a result, dogs have developed impressive skills, including the ability to recognize and respond to our emotional state.

In a recent study, researchers investigated neuronal coupling using brain activity recording equipment called non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG). This uses a headset containing electrodes that detect neural signals, in this case those from the beagles and humans involved in the study.

The researchers looked at what happened to these neural signals when dogs and humans were isolated from each other and in each other’s presence, but without looking at each other. Dogs and humans could then interact with each other.

Look me in the eyes

When dogs and humans looked at each other and the dogs were petted, their brain signals synchronized. Brain patterns in key areas of the brain associated with attention match in both dogs and people.

Dogs and people who became familiarized over the five days of the study showed increased synchronization of neural signals. Previous studies of human-to-human interactions found that increased familiarity between people also led to a closer match in brain patterns. Thus, the depth of the relationship between humans and dogs can strengthen neural coupling.

The ability of dogs to form strong bonds with people is well known. A 2022 study found that the presence of familiar humans could reduce stress reactions in young wolves, the dog’s close relative. Establishing neural connections with people could be one of the ways the dog-human relationship develops.

The researchers also investigated the potential effect of brain differences on neural coupling. To do this, they included dogs with a mutation in a gene called Shank3, which can lead to altered neuronal connectivity in brain areas linked to attention. This gene is responsible for making a protein that promotes communication between cells and is particularly abundant in the brain. Mutations in Shank3 have also been associated with autism spectrum disorders in humans.

Dogs in the study with the Shank3 mutation did not show the same level of brain signal matching with people as those without the mutation. This was potentially due to impaired neuronal signaling and processing.

However, when researchers gave study dogs with the Shank3 mutation a single dose of LSD (a hallucinogenic drug), they showed increased levels of attention and restored neural coupling with humans.

LSD is known to promote social behavior in mice and humans, although there are clearly ethical concerns regarding such treatment.

The researchers made it clear that there is still much to learn about neural coupling between dogs and humans.

It could well be that looking into your dog’s eyes means that your respective brain signals will synchronize and improve your connection. The more you know yourself, the stronger it becomes, it seems.

So the next time a dog looks at you with puppy eyes, remember that you could improve your relationship.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.