Is your dog really excited to see you? Or is the panting and tail wagging simply a sign that he’s anticipating a treat?
Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta are trying to answer this question and others by using MRI scans. In a new study, scientists report that they have for the first time successfully trained dogs to lie awake and still in an MRI machine for 10 to 15 seconds, long enough to complete a scan.
“We can actually capture brain images and see what parts of the brain are activating when we have hand signals or when we talk to [the dog] or when we point this way or that way. Now we can really begin to understand what a dog is thinking.” Gregory Berns, Professor of Neuroeconomics (Emory University)