Dog works better against stress than stuffed animal

Petting a dog triggers a much stronger response in certain areas of the brain than petting a stuffed animal. Researchers at the University of Basel report the results of a small study that affects the prefrontal cortex, which contributes to the regulation and processing of social and emotional interactions. This shows that in therapies to reduce stress and depression, for example, real animals cannot easily be replaced by artificial animals, writes the team led by psychologist Rahel Marti in the journal PLOS ONE.

The scientists had measured the brain activity of 19 men and women when they either looked at, snuggled on the leg or stroked a real dog or a similarly sized stuffed lion. The stuffed animal had a filled hot-water bottle in its stomach to have about the same temperature as the dog.

As it turned out, brain activity in the area increased when handling both the real animal and the stuffed animal, but significantly more in the dog. The difference was particularly large during the most intensive contact, stroking. With each further contact with the real dog, the brain activity continued to increase - but not with further contact with the stuffed animal. Marti and colleagues suspect that this could have something to do with the development of a social bond with the real animal. There were no significant differences in brain activity between male and female study participants.

The higher brain activity continued after contact with a dog, even if it was no longer there. This effect was smaller for the stuffed animals. The study shows that "interactions with a dog may activate more attentional processes and evoke greater emotional arousal than comparable non-living stimuli," according to the research team. However, the results would first have to be confirmed in larger analyses, and they should initially be interpreted with caution, partly because of the small number of subjects.

Several studies have previously shown that positive interaction with a dog reduces stress parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol levels. It also releases neurochemicals like oxytocin that are associated with attachment or belonging. According to the researchers led by Marti, dogs are the animals most commonly used in animal-assisted therapy.

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