The relationship between behavioural and hemispheric sleep laterality in dogs

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Ethology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Human cognition research often overlooks left-handed individuals due to assumed brain lateralization differences.
• Animal models offer a viable alternative to study handedness, side preference, and brain lateralization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between behavioral lateralization and brain lateralization during sleep in dogs.
• To explore the potential of dogs as a model for human visuo-spatial attentional biases.

Main Methods:

• Two studies involving behavioral tests for lateralization and side preference in dogs.
• Sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings to assess hemispheric asymmetry during sleep.

Main Results:

• Correlations found between behavioral lateralization parameters and sleep EEG hemispheric asymmetry.
• Evidence supports the use-dependent recovery function of sleep.
• Individual-level associations between sleep and waking behavior were suggested.

Conclusions:

• Dog's sleep and waking behaviors show individual-level associations in lateralization.
• Findings support the use of dogs as a model for human cognitive research, particularly visuo-spatial attention.