美国国家公共电台 NPR How A Dog In An MRI Scanner Is Like Your Grandma At A Disco（在线收听）

How A Dog In An MRI Scanner Is Like Your Grandma At A Disco 

play pause stop mute unmute max volume 00:0002:18repeat repeat off Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin. RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: 

There was a study that came out in recent days that got a lot of play in the media, including here at NPR. It found that dogs can understand what we say to them - the actual words, not just the tone of voice.

BARTON GIRDWOOD, BYLINE: Oh, you're such a good girl. You're such a good girl.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: 

That's our producer Barton Girdwood with his dog. The scientists made their discovery about dogs' understanding of language by getting dogs to lie still in an MRI machine and monitoring their brains while talking to them.

MONTAGNE: Which got us wondering, how on earth did the researchers get the dogs to lie completely still in an MRI machine...

MONTAGNE: ...For eight minutes at a time, without drugging the dogs?

MARTA GACSI: Everybody told us that it's impossible because dogs wouldn't stay in the scanner because it's very noisy and annoying, even for humans.

INSKEEP: Marta Gacsi tried to find out how it would not be impossible. We reached her by Skype.

MONTAGNE: She studies animal behavior at Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest. She trained the dogs not to move.

GACSI: They had to be absolutely motionless. They couldn't lick their mouth. They couldn't swallow. They couldn't even expect food because of the drooling problem.

INSKEEP: In other words, she couldn't rely on using treats.

GACSI: We didn't apply any restraint to keep the dogs in the desired position or in the scanner, so they could leave the tube and the scanner bed any time they wanted to. And sometimes they did so.

MONTAGNE: That was the key - giving them the option to go but tricking them into wanting to stay.

INSKEEP: It was essentially all a mind game to convince them it was fun to stay still.

GACSI: Our first aim was to persuade dogs that it's fun because they must feel it's great. So we communicate that they are great if they are there, so we are proud of them. And we are happy to be there. There's a big party there. And they believe us, even if it doesn't make sense.

MONTAGNE: And the longer the dogs were able to stay on the table, the more praise they earned. Eventually, there were 13 dogs that lay perfectly still for eight minutes and were happy to do it.

INSKEEP: So if your dog looks at you blankly when you tell her to sit, try again - this time with lots of praise.

GEORGE CLINTON: (Singing) Bow wow wow, yippie yo, yippie yay. Bow wow, yippie yo, yippie yay. Bow wow wow, yippie yo, yippie yay. Bow wow, yippie yo, yippie yay. Untied dog in a dogmatic society...

(SOUNDBITE OF MRI MACHINE RUNNING)

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ATOMIC DOG")