Researchers have found that interactions between humans and dogs can literally sync their brain activities.

Stemming from a study published in the journal Advanced Science, the finding offers new insights into the deep bond between humans and their canine companions and may even provide clues for understanding autism in humans.

The researchers used a dual-EEG technique to simultaneously measure brain activity in both humans and dogs as they engaged in typical bonding behaviors like petting and gazing into each other’s eyes.

“By analyzing electroencephalography signals from both dogs and humans, it is found that mutual gaze and petting induce interbrain synchronization in the frontal and parietal regions of the human-dog dyads, respectively,” the authors wrote in the study.

This phenomenon, known as “interbrain coupling,” showcases a leader-follower dynamic, where human brain activity leads and the dog’s brain follows. This mirrors the social dynamic between humans and dogs, where humans typically take on a leadership role.

The implications of this discovery extend beyond the human-dog bond. Researchers also studied dogs with mutations in the SHANK3 gene, which is strongly linked to autism in humans. These dogs exhibited disrupted brain synchronization when interacting with humans, reflecting social difficulties seen in human autism.