time spent with pets increases brain activity in the prefrontal cortex

A new study says time spent with dogs increases brain activity in the prefrontal cortex.

A new study published in PLOS One researched neurological changes that occur when interacting with dogs. The findings indicate that cuddling with real dogs and stuffed animals increases brain activity in the prefrontal region, but dogs cause significantly more brain activity than stuffed animals.

Research on the consequences of time with animals has yielded data that changed how we think about the relationships between animals and humans. Time spent with animals decreases levels of stress hormones and increases feel-good neurochemicals like endorphins and oxytocin.

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