In what is likely obvious news to dog owners, petting a pup can help boost neurons in the prefrontal cortex — the area of the brain that helps regulate emotional interactionsBy People Staff

Days after researchers found that dogs can sniff out stress, other scientists discovered a new way canines help combat anxiety.
Dog cuddle sessions make people more sociable, reveals new research. Watching, feeling, and touching canines can boost neurons in the prefrontal cortex — the area of the brain that helps regulate emotional interactions, according to SWNS. Learning more about how dogs help people cope with stress and depression could lead to the development of better treatments and have implications for animal-assisted clinical therapy. The snuggly study, published in the journal PLOS One, found the positive effect persists after the dogs are no longer present but are reduced when the pets are replaced with stuffed animals “The present study demonstrates prefrontal brain activity in healthy subjects increased with a rise in interactional closeness with a dog or a stuffed animal, but especially in contact with the dog the activation is stronger,” the study’s lead author, Rahel Marti of the University of Basel, Switzerland, told SWNS.
Learn More: https://people.com/pets/dogs-help-people-feel-more-sociable-and-less-stressed-study-finds/