Study: petting pups ‘doggone’ good for the brain

(CNN NEWSOURCE) — There’s a reason dogs are called “man’s best friend.”

Turns out, petting a dog is actually good for our brains!

In a study that was just published in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers put brain scanners on people and had them pet a stuffed animal and a live dog.

And there was a big boost in brain activity when the person got to pet the pup, specifically the frontal cortex — the part of the brain that handles how we think and feel.

As soft and cute as a stuffed animal may be, researchers think the real animal creates some emotional involvement and that’s what activates the brain.

The research supports using animal therapy to help people with everything from emotional issues to nervous system conditions, like strokes, seizure disorders, brain trauma and infections.