How nature nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature.

ABSTRACT: Since living in cities is associated with an increased risk for mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, depression, and schizophrenia, it is essential to understand how exposure to urban and natural environments affects mental health and the brain. It has been shown that the amygdala is more activated during a stress task in urban compared to rural dwellers. However, no study so far has examined the causal effects of natural and urban environments on stress-related brain mechanisms. To address this question, we conducted an intervention study to investigate changes in stress-related brain regions as an effect of a one-hour walk in an urban (busy street) vs. natural environment (forest). Brain activation was measured in 63 healthy participants, before and after the walk, using a fearful

SUBMITTER: Sudimac S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9734043 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature