How to scan your dragon: MRIs for non-humans drive a brain atlas programme

Dogs, cats, horses and sheep have had their heads scanned. So has the bearded dragon. Insects are being explored too. See why, how and what’s next.

How differently do animals’ brains work? How do they register pleasure and pain? What areas light up as they sleep, and why?

Scientists have been using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to try and answer such questions, creating animal brain atlases of different species.

These atlases, for now, map the brains of healthy specimens and cadavers, to establish scanning protocols and a clear view of a baseline. The aim is for these maps to eventually aid in research, and help diagnose