Interacting with dogs decreases stress levels and enhances brain activity linked to relaxation and concentration, according to a study led by Onyoo Yoo from Konkuk University (KU), South Korea.
The research aims to offer valuable insights for developing animal-assisted intervention (AAI) programs, such as canine therapy, and serve as a useful reference for determining the most effective activities for particular purposes.
Recently published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, the study was participated in by 30 adults, who performed different activities with a dog for three minutes each while wearing electroencephalography (EEG) electrodes to record electrical activity from the brain. The activities included meeting, playing, feeding, massaging, grooming, photographing, hugging, and walking.
Based on the results of the study, it yielded the following insights:
• The relative strength of alpha-band oscillations in the brain increased while participants played with and walked the dog, reflecting a state of relaxed wakefulness;
• When grooming, gently massaging, or playing with the dog, relative beta-band oscillation strength increased, a boost typically linked to heightened concentration;
• Participants also reported feeling significantly less fatigued, depressed, and stressed after all dog-related activities.
The authors of the study state these insights can provide “valuable information for elucidating the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of animal-assisted interventions.”
For more information, access the peer-reviewed study via PLOS ONE.