A new study suggests that spending quality time with dogs can reduce stress and anxiety.
In the study, scientists examined brain scans of 30 healthy individuals. Researchers found in scans that spending a little time with dogs produced electrical activity in the brain that was linked to relaxation, focus and creativity.
The scientists said that people who participated in the study reported a significant reduction in fatigue and stress after spending time with the dogs.
Although attachment to animals may play a role in these feelings, the findings add to the growing body of evidence that dog-based therapy can help reduce anxiety and stress, the research team said. What did
In a study published in the journal Plos One, researchers measured the brain activity of 15 men and 15 women aged 20 and older using an electroencephalogram (EEG) device.
Participants played with, fed, photographed and walked the four-year-old trained female in the study. Each activity lasted approximately three minutes.
EEGs recorded alpha waves emanating from the brains of the participants while they were playing with or walking the dog, the researchers said.
These waves are associated with relaxation of the brain, while petting a dog has been shown to produce beta waves, which are associated with increased attention.
