Scientists from the University of Ghent have found changes in the brains of anxious dogs that are characteristic of people with anxiety disorders. Research published PLOS One.
Anxiety disorders in humans are diverse, but they are usually characterized by high levels of fear, emotional sensitivity, and negative expectations. Anxiety in dogs manifests as anxiety, fear and mild agitation. In the study, the researchers compared the brains of healthy dogs and anxious dogs using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Researchers have found that there are indeed significant differences between anxious and calm dogs. At the same time, the more different the anxious dog’s brain from the norm, the stronger the manifestations of anxiety.
For example, many dogs had more active areas in their brains associated with fear processing. This indicates that the animal brain has a lot of experience in dealing with fear. Dog owners with these changes noted an increased fear of animals in front of strangers and dogs.
The researchers also found that anxious dogs had less efficient connections between two areas of the brain important for learning and information processing. This may explain why anxious dog owners report lower learning ability in their pets.
The sample size was neither large nor varied enough to generalize study findings to all dogs. But the results show strong evidence of measurable differences in the brains of anxious and healthy dogs. This will help develop more effective treatments in the future.