Ученые доказали наличие у собак механизма сознательного самоконтроля

The achievement marks a historic triumph for the country’s breeding and dog ownership community.Continue reading The latest research by scientists at the Department of Ethology at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and the HUN-REN Research Center for Natural Sciences (HUN-REN RCNS) suggests that dogs do not respond automatically: when they suppress their behavior, their brain activity shows a pattern similar to the neural characteristics of human self-control. Researchers point out that the ability to stop or suppress a behavior at any given moment is crucial for survival and adaptation. The inhibitory process, however, can be achieved through different mechanisms. For instance, a mouse freezing in response to an approaching predator is an ancient, automatic reaction, whereas quitting smoking requires conscious effort in humans. Evolutionarily newer areas of the human brain, including the frontal lobes, play an important role in self-control. When measured with EEG, this is reflected in increased frontal theta activity. Researchers from ELTE and HUN-REN set out to determine whether dogs’ brains handle situations involving obedience automatically or through some form of conscious control mechanism. To answer this question, the researchers conducted non-invasive EEG recordings in awake dogs. The study involved a total of 226 short EEG recordings, each lasting about 30 seconds, capturing brain activity in 14 family dogs. Ivaylo Iotchev, a researcher at the HUN-REN RCNS, explained that during the recordings, the dogs either obeyed a command — meaning they were not allowed to eat food placed within their reach or take a toy — or remained at rest. The researchers examined whether theta activity was stronger in recordings made while the dogs had to suppress their behavior. If no such difference were found, the mechanism would be more similar to the freezing response observed in mice. In situations requiring self-control, however, the researchers observed EEG activity similar to the theta activity seen in humans, both in frequency and distribution. The study’s leaders, Anna Kis and Márta Gácsi, have spent years investigating how research on dogs can help improve our understanding of human conditions such as ADHD and obesity. “Dogs live and age faster than humans while sharing the same environment and adapting to similar social and physical challenges,” Márta Gácsi explained in the statement. She added that this means certain developmental processes and age-related factors can be studied more efficiently in dogs than in human populations. She added: “Disruptions in frontal lobe function play a role in both ADHD and abnormal weight gain in humans. If we can measure EEG correlates of frontal lobe involvement in dogs, this could help us identify behavioral and neurological similarities and, in turn, make more accurate predictions about human processes.” Ivaylo Iotchev noted that the findings should also be considered in a broader context: “Surprisingly little attention has been paid to the frontal lobe of dogs, despite the fact that so many people believe their four-legged companions have rich inner lives. We know much more about this part of the rat brain. We have now shown that, alongside fMRI, the less expensive and more accessible EEG can also be used for this purpose, potentially opening the door to further research into dogs’ mental processes and their neural underpinnings.” Via MTI, Featured image: Pexels