The field of environmental neuroscience examines the reciprocal interactions between an individual and the environment. The level of the individual is examined through behavior and neural correlates. The environment is examined by factors including the physical environment, visual environment, social interactions, and noise, to name a few. In the article “Environmental Neuroscience,” Berman et al. (2019) discuss a specific example from environmental neuroscience: the impact of urban greenspace on cognition, affect, and health in humans and non-humans. The authors discuss previous research, which has linked neighborhood greenspace to better physical health, lower mortality, improved school performance, and better mental health. Some of the proposed factors linking the environment to the beneficial effects in health and cognition are the visual properties of nature, air quality, exercise, reduced exposure to toxins, and social cohesion. In his talk at the Neuroscience Seminar, Berman presented the findings of this study, along with findings related to the beneficial effects of time spent in nature for children with ADHD, the effects of urban greenspace in reducing crime, and the study of fractals in the brain and in nature in order to predict cognitive performance.
Previous studies have shown that brief interactions with nature can increase working memory capacity, improve mood, and increase attention. Long-term interactions with nature have been linked with reduced crime and improved health, well-being, and school performance. Some of the proposed mechanisms for these beneficial effects are stress reduction theory, perceptual fluency, biophilia, and prospect-refuge theory. Berman et al. (2019) take an environmental approach to understanding the mechanisms behind these beneficial effects, by examining neural responses to the low-level features of stimuli, such as fractals.
The Barcelona Institute for Global Health published a 2018 study in Environmental Health Perspectives titled “The Association between Lifelong Greenspace Exposure and 3-Dimensional Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Barcelona Schoolchildren,” which presented their findings that lifelong exposure to greenspace for schoolchildren was correlated with larger volumes of white and grey matter in the brain. Greenspace surrounding the child’s home was estimated using satellite-based information. White and grey matter volumes of participants were measured using MRI. The areas of the brain with higher levels of white and grey matter partially overlapped with brain areas associated with cognition, working memory, and attention. As opposed to Berman et al. (2019), who discuss an environmental approach to the topic, Dadvand et al. (2018) take a Biophilia Hypothesis approach to the examination of beneficial effects of greenspace. The researchers discuss that greenspace may promote brain development by providing opportunities for psychological restoration, discovery, creativity, and risk-taking, along with providing spaces with lower levels of air pollution and noise. Dadvand et al. (2018) provides evidence that long-term exposure to greenspace has direct impacts on brain composition and cognition in children.
As developing society becomes increasingly urbanized, researchers are beginning to consider the effects of urbanization, pollution, and restricted access to nature on human health and physiology. Even without the option to move to more rural areas, families can increase their exposure to nature through urban greenspace, which is land that is covered in vegetation (ranging from a cluster of plants to an open-space park). While researchers are still exploring the specific mechanisms underlying the effects of greenspace, studies have shown that greenspace can have significant beneficial effects on brain structure (Dadvand et al., 2018), and behavior and cognition (Berman et al., 2019). The results of these and similar studies indicate the need for increased greenspace in urban areas, and pave the way for improvements in city planning, policy, and local government, in order to promote brain function and overall health of citizens.
References
Berman, M. G., Stier, A. J., & Akcelik, G. N. (2019). Environmental neuroscience. American Psychologist, 74(9), 1039–1052. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000583
University of California - Los Angeles. (2018, February 23). Being raised in greener neighborhoods may have beneficial effects on brain development. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 12, 2022 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180223100626.htm
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