Human and Dog Brains Synchronize During Mutual Gaze, Study Reveals

New research shows that eye contact and petting lead to synchronized brain activity between humans and dogs, with potential implications for autism research.

• Researchers used dual-EEG to measure brain activity in humans and dogs during bonding activities like petting and eye contact.
• The study found that certain regions of the human and dog brains showed synchronized activity, particularly in the frontal and parietal lobes.
• Brain synchronization followed a leader-follower dynamic, with human brain activity leading and dog brain activity following.
• Dogs with mutations in the SHANK3 gene, linked to autism in humans, showed disrupted brain synchronization during interactions.
• A single dose of LSD appeared to restore brain synchronization in these dogs, suggesting new avenues for autism research.

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Study Finds The Independent ScienceAlert