Disrupted Human-Dog Interbrain Neural Coupling in Autism-Associated Shank3 Mutant Dogs.
Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) November 1, 2024 Wei Ren, Shan Yu, Kun Guo et al. 14 citations
Mutual gaze and petting between humans and dogs synchronize neural activity in the frontal and parietal brain regions of both species, as measured by electroencephalography. This cross-species interbrain coupling strengthens as human-dog pairs become more familiar over five days, and information flow analysis indicates that humans lead while dogs follow during interactions. Dogs with Shank3 mutations, an animal model of autism spectrum disorders, show reduced interbrain synchronization and attention, which are restored by the psychedelic lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The findings reveal a neural basis for interspecies communication and suggest LSD may help ameliorate social impairments in autism.