Networks of the social brain

This project investigates the evolutionary roots of how our brains support us in navigating the complex social worlds we live in. Imagine this scenario: you`re happily chatting with a colleague over a beer when suddenly, he puts the glass back on the table. Instantly, you sense something is wrong. He seems angry, perhaps it was the way he put down the glass or a slight twitch in his eyes. Whatever the cue, you realize your recent comment offended him. This scenario showcases the human brain`s extraordinary ability to pick up and interpret subtle signals from others, an ability partly relying on brain networks unique to primates and especially advanced in humans. As our ancestral groups grew, so did the need to understand and communicate with others, leading to the development of specialized brain networks for integrating complex social cues. Consider another scenario, assuming you`ve lived with a dog: You`re watching a movie at home when suddenly, your favorite character dies unexpectedly. Moments later, your dog is beside you, seemingly reacting to your emotions. This is a common experience among dog caregivers, reflecting dogs` remarkable capacity to detect subtle emotional changes. Human and dog brains are as varied as their bodies. Both species share basic features like two ears and two eyes, but differences abound, like dogs` more pronounced bodily hair and differing dentition. Similarly, while certain brain regions, like the primary visual and auditory cortices, are comparable, the networks for processing complex social cues, highly evolved in humans, are not found in dogs. Yet, dogs excel at perceiving subtle emotional changes. How is this possible? This project aims to identify the brain networks dogs use to process emotions, comparing their function to similar networks in humans. We will use functional magnetic resonance imaging in both species, developing new analysis techniques for a structural and functional comparison of their brains. This research is led by Dr. Raul Hernandez, a pioneer and expert in dog neuroimaging, and embed in a collaboration between the Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience (SCAN) -Unit at the University of Vienna, led by Dr. Claus Lamm, and the Clever Dog Lab at the Messerli Research Institute, Vetmeduni Vienna, headed by Dr. Ludwig Huber.