iamsom / Getty ImagesMutual gazing and patting create synchronicity between beagles and human beingsiamsom / Getty Images
If you have ever looked into a dog’s eyes and felt a connection, it may have been the result of brain synchronization. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences used electrodes to measure the brain activity of 10 young beagles and people they had lived with for five days, according to an article published in the journal Advanced Science. The encephalograms indicated that a mutual gaze, especially when associated with affection, generates cerebral synchrony in the frontal and parietal regions of the two participants, which becomes stronger the more intense the bond. When the gaze was not accompanied by physical touch, the synchronicity was greater in the frontal region. This is the first time the effect has been observed in a relationship between two different species. Dogs with mutations that make them models for autism spectrum disorder lacked this synchronization, but it was reestablished after treatment with a dosage of lysergic acid (LSD), suggesting a potential clinical pathway (ScienceAlert, September 16).
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