The Mood-Improving Effect of Viewing Images of Nature and Its Neural Substrate

Rikuto Yamashita, Chong Chen, Toshio Matsubara, Kosuke Hagiwara, Masato Inamura, Kohei Aga, Masako Hirotsu, Tomoe Seki, Akiyo Takao, Erika Nakagawa, Ayumi Kobayashi, Yuko Fujii, Keiko Hirata, Harumi Ikei, Yoshifumi Miyazaki and Shin Nakagawa
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Rikuto Yamashita: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Chong Chen: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Toshio Matsubara: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Kosuke Hagiwara: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Masato Inamura: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Kohei Aga: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Masako Hirotsu: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Tomoe Seki: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Akiyo Takao: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Erika Nakagawa: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Ayumi Kobayashi: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Yuko Fujii: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Keiko Hirata: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan
Harumi Ikei: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
Yoshifumi Miyazaki: Center for Environment, Health and Field Sciences, Chiba University, Chiba 277-0882, Japan
Shin Nakagawa: Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube 755-8505, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-11

Abstract: It has been recently suggested that contact with nature improves mood via reducing the activity of the prefrontal cortex. However, the specific regions within the prefrontal cortex that underlie this effect remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify the specific regions involved in the mood-improving effect of viewing images of nature using a 52-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Specifically, we focused on the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), two regions associated with affective processing and control. In a randomized controlled crossover experiment, we assigned thirty young adults to view images of nature and built environments for three minutes each in a counterbalanced order. During image viewing, participants wore a fNIRS probe cap and had their oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) measured. Immediately following each image viewing, participants indicated their mood in terms of comfortableness, relaxation, and vigor. Results showed that viewing images of nature significantly increased comfortableness and relaxation but not vigor compared to viewing images of built environments, with a large effect size. Meanwhile, the concentration of oxy-Hb in only the right OFC and none of the other regions significantly decreased while viewing the images of nature compared to built environments, with a medium effect size. We speculate that viewing images of nature improves mood by reducing the activity of or calming the OFC. Since the OFC is hyperactive in patients with depression and anxiety at rest, contact with nature might have therapeutic effects for them.

Keywords: green plants; affect; natural environment; near-infrared spectroscopy; orbitofrontal cortex; relaxation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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