Spend time outdoors for your brain - an in-depth longitudinal MRI study
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Spend time outdoors for your brain - an in-depth longitudinal MRI study. / Kühn, Simone; Mascherek, Anna; Filevich, Elisa; Lisofsky, Nina; Becker, Maxi; Butler, Oisin; Lochstet, Martyna; Mårtensson, Johan; Wenger, Elisabeth; Lindenberger, Ulman; Gallinat, Jürgen.
in: WORLD J BIOL PSYCHIA, Jahrgang 23, Nr. 3, 03.2022, S. 201-207.Publikationen: SCORING: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift/Zeitung › SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz › Forschung › Begutachtung
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Spend time outdoors for your brain - an in-depth longitudinal MRI study
AU - Kühn, Simone
AU - Mascherek, Anna
AU - Filevich, Elisa
AU - Lisofsky, Nina
AU - Becker, Maxi
AU - Butler, Oisin
AU - Lochstet, Martyna
AU - Mårtensson, Johan
AU - Wenger, Elisabeth
AU - Lindenberger, Ulman
AU - Gallinat, Jürgen
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - OBJECTIVES: The effects of nature on physical and mental health are an emerging topic in empirical research with increasing influence on practical health recommendations. Here we set out to investigate the association between spending time outdoors and brain structural plasticity in conjunctions with self-reported affect.METHODS: We established the Day2day study, which includes an unprecedented in-depth assessment of variability of brain structure in a serial sequence of 40-50 structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisitions of each of six young healthy participants for 6-8 months (n = 281 MRI scans in total).RESULTS: A whole-brain analysis revealed that time spent outdoors was positively associated with grey matter volume in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and positive affect, also after controlling for physical activity, fluid intake, free time, and hours of sunshine.CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate remarkable and potentially behaviorally relevant plasticity of cerebral structure within a short time frame driven by the daily time spent outdoors. This is compatible with anecdotal evidence of the health and mood-promoting effects of going for a walk. The study may provide the first evidence for underlying cerebral mechanisms of so-called green prescriptions with possible consequences for future interventions in mental disorders.
AB - OBJECTIVES: The effects of nature on physical and mental health are an emerging topic in empirical research with increasing influence on practical health recommendations. Here we set out to investigate the association between spending time outdoors and brain structural plasticity in conjunctions with self-reported affect.METHODS: We established the Day2day study, which includes an unprecedented in-depth assessment of variability of brain structure in a serial sequence of 40-50 structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) acquisitions of each of six young healthy participants for 6-8 months (n = 281 MRI scans in total).RESULTS: A whole-brain analysis revealed that time spent outdoors was positively associated with grey matter volume in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and positive affect, also after controlling for physical activity, fluid intake, free time, and hours of sunshine.CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate remarkable and potentially behaviorally relevant plasticity of cerebral structure within a short time frame driven by the daily time spent outdoors. This is compatible with anecdotal evidence of the health and mood-promoting effects of going for a walk. The study may provide the first evidence for underlying cerebral mechanisms of so-called green prescriptions with possible consequences for future interventions in mental disorders.
U2 - 10.1080/15622975.2021.1938670
DO - 10.1080/15622975.2021.1938670
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 34231438
VL - 23
SP - 201
EP - 207
JO - WORLD J BIOL PSYCHIA
JF - WORLD J BIOL PSYCHIA
SN - 1562-2975
IS - 3
ER -
