ArticleMolecular psychiatry2022
How nature nurtures: Amygdala activity decreases as the result of a one-hour walk in nature.
Article in Molecular psychiatry, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Neural correlates of acute task-related stress in humans: a systematic review and coordinate-based ALE meta-analysis.Brain imaging and behavior · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of outdoor fitness equipment intervention on health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Green Environments for Sustainable Brains: Parameters Shaping Adaptive Neuroplasticity and Lifespan Neurosustainability-A Systematic Review and Future Directions.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Pooled it
- Enhancing Psychophysiological Well-Being Through Nature-Based Soundscapes: An Examination of Heart Rate Variability in a Cross-Over Study.Psychophysiology · 2025Trial
- The influence of a walk in nature on human resting brain activity: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Effect of Relaxation-Based Virtual Reality on Psychological and Physiological Stress of Substance Abusers Under Detoxification: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Brain and behavior · 2024Trial
- Immersion in nature enhances neural indices of executive attention.Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Investigating effects of day-to-day variations in environmental exposure on the human brain: study protocol for the Day2Day Environment project.BMC neuroscience · 2026Article
- Brief virtual nature exposure and acute stress: inconclusive evidence regarding stress reactivity, recovery, and emotion regulation.Journal of environmental psychology · 2026Article
- 'An Embodied Journey Towards Recovery': A Grounded Theory of Mental Health Service Users' Experiences of a Nature-based Intervention.Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy · 2026Article
- Nature Exposure and Problematic Smartphone Use Among Chinese High School Students: The Mediating Roles of Anxiety and Self-Control.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Amygdala reactivity to social stress in young adults: A scoping review of neuroimaging studies.Neurobiology of stress · 2026Review
- Built Environment-Modulated Epigenetics: The Epigenetic Consequences of Architecturally Mediated Allostatic Overload in the Built Environment.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Review
- Hippocampal Neurosustainability for Stress Resilience: A Pro-Neurogenic BDNF-Targeted Architectural Enrichment Framework to Overcome Type 2 Allostatic Overload.Brain sciences · 2026Article
- A latent profile analysis of physical activity participation patterns and mental health among university students: the mediating role of emotion regulation.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Nonlinear associations and threshold effects between built environment features and schizophrenia incidence: Implications for healthy city planning.SSM - population health · 2026Article
- Neurobiophilia.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Global, regional, and national burden of schizophrenia: epidemiological trends, decomposition, joinpoint analysis, and projections to 2036 based on GBD 2021.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Landscape extraordinariness and visitors' psychological restoration in national park settings: a chain mediation model of awe, construal level, and connectedness to nature.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Green exercise and kinesiophobia among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of self-efficacy.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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3 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
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 faces task and a social stress task. Our findings reveal that amygdala activation decreases after the walk in nature, whereas it remains stable after the walk in an urban environment. These results suggest that going for a walk in nature can have salutogenic effects on stress-related brain regions, and consequently, it may act as a preventive measure against mental strain and potentially disease. Given rapidly increasing urbanization, the present results may influence urban planning to create more accessible green areas and to adapt urban environments in a way that will be beneficial for citizens' mental health.
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