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Staring into your dogs eyes literally affects how their brains work, new study highlights
If you’ve ever stared into your dog’s eyes to find some semblance of recognition, you might be pleased to learn that the simple act can affect your dog’s brain and your overall bond.
Because of their tendency to exhibit the maximum cuteness available, we tend to forget that our pets are independent creatures with intricate bodily processes of their own. For one, your cat has a better nose than your dog, and that’s to say nothing of a dog’s recollection abilities.
Having a staring contest with your dog will make you better friends
A study published last week in the Advanced Science journal used high-tech equipment to measure the brain activity of dogs and their owners.
Using a cutting-edge technique known as dual-EEG, the researchers found that starting into your dog’s eyes actually syncs your brains together, something even the new iOS 18 update can’t do!
The phenomenon is known as “interbrain coupling” and it could provide insight into the close bond between dog and owner. Surprisingly, it could even shed light on further treatment options for autism, the scientists said.
Throughout their study, researchers had dogs and their owners do various bonding activities like petting and staring into one another’s eyes. Both the human brain and the dog’s brain showed coordinated patterns of activity in the frontal and parietal lobes, with the human taking on a “leader” role and the dog a “follower” role.
Researchers said further study is needed to properly unpack the discovery, though future exploration could pose interesting questions about the bonds between man and man’s best friend.
The study also highlighted further avenues for autism treatments
Alongside their neurotypical participants, researchers also analyzed data from dogs with the SHANK3 gene, a gene strongly linked to autism in humans.
Much like their human counterparts who also struggle with social interactions, dogs with the SHANK3 gene showed disrupted brain synchronization when interacting with humans.
Shockingly, just a single dose of psychedelic drug LSD was able to revive the impaired brain synchronization. Further research is again required, though scientists have speculated that there could be a link between LSD and further treatments for humans with autism.
