Study Reveals Nature’s Imapact on Brain Fucntion

The advice imparted more than 150 years ago by American writers John Muir and Henry David Thoreau is reaffirmed by recent research by psychology professors Amy McDonnell and David Strayer at the University of Utah: Not only is time spent in nature healing for the heart and soul, but it also benefits the brain.

The study measured participants’ attentional capacity using electroencephalography (EEG), which records electrical activity in the brain, at the university’s Red Butte Garden.

The results, which were published in Scientific Reports, suggest that taking a walk in the outdoors improves several brain functions related to executive control above and beyond the advantages of regular exercise. 

The study adds to the increasing corpus of scholarly work examining the relationship between natural environments and both physical and mental health. A brand-new research team at the University of Utah called Nature and Human Health Utah is tasked with examining these problems and coming up with ways to close the gap between humans and nature. 

According to the researchers, humans have a deep-rooted biological need for nature, and our health is at risk when our access to it declines. According to the theory of biophilia, human evolution has enhanced our affinity or bond with other living creatures. However, the restorative conditions that support well-being contrast with the modern urban environment, which is marked by technology, constant stimuli, and dense metropolitan settings. 

For the past ten years, psychology professor David Strayer—who is well-known for his studies on cellphone use and multitasking—has been concentrating on the effects of nature on cognition. Beyond the cognitive benefits of exercise alone, a new study conducted as part of McDonnell’s dissertation in Strayer’s Applied Cognition Lab shows that a stroll in nature can positively affect attentional capacity. After completing her doctorate, McDonnell works as a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Utah, where she carries out attention research. 

92 participants in the trial, which took place in 2022 between April and October, had their EEGs examined both before and after going for a 40-minute walk. First, the participants completed a mentally taxing exercise in which they had to count backwards from 1,000 by sevens. They then finished the required “Attention Network Task” following the stroll. The participants chose to walk through the medical campus’s dense asphalt or Red Butte, an arboretum located in the university’s eastern slopes. 

According to McDonnell’s explanation of the approach, the participants underwent an attention task following their walk and an exhausting cognitive task to deplete their attentional reserves. The treks, which lasted two miles and gained a comparable amount of elevation without the use of electronics or human interaction, provided a comparison between urban and natural settings. 

The results indicate that walking in Red Butte’s natural environment improved attentional capacity more than walking in the medical campus’s more congested area. The need of comprehending nature’s healing qualities is emphasized by Strayer, particularly considering todays technologically distracted urban environs. Overall, the study supports the notion that nature can have a substantial positive impact on one’s physical and mental health by highlighting the cognitive advantages of spending time in it. 

Journal Reference  

Amy S. McDonnell et al, Immersion in nature enhances neural indices of executive attention, Scientific Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52205-1.