How dogs love us | Dr. Gregory Berns | TEDxAtlanta

Summary

In this engaging talk, Gregory Berns details his groundbreaking research into understanding what dogs think using MRI technology. He describes the challenges of training dogs to undergo MRI scans, including acclimating them to the noise and ensuring they stay still. Through this process, Berns discovered that dogs respond to symbolic cues, such as hand signals, with brain activity in their reward systems, similar to humans. The research expands into how dogs recognize and remember their human companions, and even helps predict which dogs will make successful service animals, shedding light on the deep bond between dogs and humans.

Takeaways

• 😀 Gregory Berns embarked on a project to understand what dogs think using MRI technology, an area of research that was previously unexplored.
• 😀 The research started with Berns' favorite dog, Newton, and his curiosity about using MRI to study animal cognition, particularly dogs.
• 😀 Berns introduced the idea of using MRI scans to study dogs, similar to how humans undergo MRI scans to study brain activity and behavior.
• 😀 The study involved training dogs to stay still while wearing an MRI head coil, using methods like clicker training and positive reinforcement with treats.
• 😀 The project aimed to uncover how dogs respond to specific stimuli, like hand signals associated with rewards, demonstrating their brain's reward system activation.
• 😀 Berns emphasizes the ethical aspect of the project, ensuring that the dogs were not sedated or restrained, and participated voluntarily and enjoyably.
• 😀 The study showed that dogs' brains respond to symbolic cues, like hand signals that represent rewards (e.g., hot dogs), rather than the actual reward itself.
• 😀 The project revealed that dogs have memory and emotional representations of humans, as their brains activate in response to familiar scents even when the human is not present.
• 😀 Differences in dogs' responses to signals were observed, suggesting that a dog's brain response to cues can be influenced by personality, such as stronger reactions to strangers or computers in some dogs.
• 😀 The research has expanded into a partnership with Canine Companions for Independence to predict which dogs will succeed as service dogs based on their brain activity and personality traits.

Q & A

What motivated Gregory Berns to start the project on studying dog brains with MRI?

Gregory Berns was motivated by the passing of his dog Newton, whom he considered his favorite. He realized he had the tools to study human decision-making using MRI and wondered why these tools hadn't been applied to studying the minds of dogs and other animals.

What was the main challenge in using MRI technology to study dogs?

The main challenge was getting the dogs to remain still in the MRI machine while also ensuring their comfort. MRI scans require the subject to be still, and dogs cannot be directly communicated with, so Berns had to develop a training method to achieve this.

How did Berns train the dogs to stay still in the MRI machine?

Berns used a method called clicker training, rewarding the dogs with hot dogs when they approximated the desired behavior. He also introduced modifications like a chin rest and ear protection to help the dogs remain still and comfortable during the scans.

Why was ear protection necessary for the dogs during the MRI scans?

The MRI machine is very loud, reaching about 95 decibels, which is like a jackhammer. Since dogs have sensitive hearing, ear protection was crucial to prevent discomfort and potential harm.

What did Berns aim to study by using the MRI technology on dogs?

Berns aimed to study how dogs’ brains react to different stimuli, particularly the brain's reward system in response to symbolic signals, such as hand gestures for food rewards. He sought to understand how dogs think and perceive their relationship with humans.

What did Berns discover about how dogs' brains respond to symbolic signals?

Berns discovered that dogs’ brains activate in response to symbolic hand signals for food, even if the food itself is not immediately present. This demonstrated that dogs can learn symbolic representations, a cognitive ability previously thought to be limited to humans.

What were the findings regarding the variation in dogs' responses to different signal givers?

Berns found that dogs had different brain responses depending on whether the signal was given by their owner, a stranger, or even a computer. For example, Berns' own dog, Callie, had a greater response to signals from strangers or computers, while other dogs showed a stronger response to their owners.

How is this research being applied to service dog training?

Berns has partnered with Canine Companions for Independence, the largest service dog training organization in the U.S., to use brain activity patterns to predict which dogs will be successful in service dog training. This could help improve the success rate of these programs, which currently have a low success rate of only 35%.

What is the significance of studying the similarities between human and dog brains?

By studying the similarities between human and dog brains, Berns aims to gain insights into the evolution of the dog-human bond. Understanding the common brain structures and cognitive abilities can help explain how dogs and humans have co-evolved and why dogs are so attuned to human emotions and behaviors.

What role does brain anatomy play in the research?

Brain anatomy plays a crucial role in understanding the similarities and differences between dog and human brains. While dogs have a smaller and less folded cortex compared to humans, key brain structures like the cerebellum and brainstem are shared across mammals, indicating common cognitive functions.