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

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

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

Neural coupling has been observed when members of the same species interact, including
MICE,
bats,
people and others
primates. This brain connection is likely
important in modeling responses during social encounters and could lead to complex behavior that would not be seen in isolation,
such as increasing teamwork or
learning.

When social species interact,
their brains “wire”. But this cross-species case raises interesting considerations about the subtleties of the human-dog relationship and might help us understand each other a little better.

Dogs are more than “companions”

The dog was one of the
the first animals domesticated people. And they have one
long history of sharing time and space with us. Dogs are not only companions for us, but also play key roles in our society, including
therapeutic support,
detection of diseases and protecting and herding animals.

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

In the recent study, the researchers studied neural coupling using a device called non-invasive brain activity recording equipment.
electroencephalography (EEG). It uses headgear that contains electrodes that detect neural signals – in this case, from beagles and the humans involved.
in study.

The researchers examined 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 were then allowed to interact with each other.

‘Eyes On You’

When the dogs and humans looked at each other and the dogs were petted, their brain signals synchronized. Brain models in
key brain areas associated with attentionsuitable for both dogs and people.

Dogs and humans who got to know each other over the five days of the study had increased synchronization of neural signals. Previous studies of human-human interactions have found
increased familiarity between people also resulted in closer models of the brain. So the depth of the relationship between humans and dogs can make the neural coupling stronger.

The
the ability of dogs forming strong attachments with people is well known. A 2022 study found that
the presence of familiar people could reduce stress responses in young wolves, a close relative of the dog. Forming neural connections with humans could be one of the ways in which the dog-human relationship develops.

The researchers also studied the potential effect of differences in the brain on neural coupling. They did this by including dogs with a mutation in a gene called Shank3, which can lead to impaired neural connectivity in
areas of the brain related to attention. This gene is responsible for producing a
proteins that help it promotes communication between cells and is especially abundant in the brain. Mutations in Shank3 have also been associated with
autism spectrum disorder in humans.

Study dogs with the Shank3 mutation did not show the same level of matching of brain signals to humans as those without the mutation. This was possible because
impaired neural 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
peoplealthough there are clearly ethical concerns about such treatment.

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

It may be that looking into your dog’s eyes means that your respective brain signals will synchronize and enhance the connection. The more familiar you are with each other, the stronger it becomes, it seems.

So the next time a dog looks at you with them
puppy dog ​​eyesremember you could be
improving your relationship.

Jacqueline Boydsenior lecturer in animal science, Nottingham Trent University

This article is republished from
conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read on
original article.