Beijing, China

The Chinese researchers for the first time have found evidence which hints at the possibility of syncing up of brains between humans and dogs.

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The study suggests that if humans feel connected suddenly while gazing into the big and watery eyes of a dog, they may be going through brain synchronisation.

The study underlines the possibility of humans bonding with dogs at a deep neurological level.

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Studies have previously shown that when humans talk or work with each other, the key regions of the brain activity also sync up. 

However, this is the first time a similar phenomenon has been observed between humans and dogs.

Here's how researchers decoded how the brains of humans and dogs sync

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The brain activity in humans and dogs was measured by the researchers by putting electrodes on the skull.

In the trial, the researchers matched the 10 young beagles with unknown humans after the pairs got acquainted with each other in the next five days. 

During the experiments, the pairs of humans and dogs participated in nonverbal communication. 

As part of it, humans and dogs remained in the same room and made no interactions.

"We observed that inter-brain correlations in frontal and parietal regions dramatically increased… during mutual gaze," wrote the authors of the study, headed by biologist Wei Ren from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The team observed patterns of synchronisation as human participants petted the dogs, however, the synchrony was stronger in the parietal brain region.

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In the study, when humans gazed into the eyes of the dogs, there was deeper inter-brain activity between the two.

A special mathematical algorithm was used by the researchers to understand which brain was heading this rhythmic neural dance between the dog and the human.

While checking the data in every interaction between humans and dogs, the team discovered it was the human brains which initiated the coupled neural activity. 

In the course of the study, there was growth in inter-brain synchronisation between the human-dog pairs, which suggested that there was bonding happening between the two.

(With inputs from agencies)