If you want a smart brain, go outside more!

Currently, adults spend 80-90% of their time indoors, and the time outdoors is getting shorter and shorter
.

Therefore, the impact of outdoor activities on physical and mental health is an emerging topic in empirical research, and the impact on actual health advice is increasing
.

More and more studies have shown that outdoor activity time is negatively correlated with the risk of chronic diseases in adults and children
.

Similarly, in the previous literature, there is evidence that outdoor activities are related to mental health, and spending time outdoors can increase adolescents’ well-being and reduce adult depression symptoms
.

But whether spending time outdoors is good for the brain has not been studied so far
.

 Recently, a study published in The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry showed that when we spend outdoors, our brain structure and emotions will be improved, which is likely to also affect attention, working memory and overall psychology
.

Studies have found that the time spent outdoors is positively correlated with the gray matter volume and positive effects of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
.

In this study, researchers regularly checked six healthy middle-aged urban residents for six months
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In total, more than 280 scans of their brains were performed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
.

The study focused on self-reported behavior in the past 24 hours, especially the time the participants spent outdoors before imaging
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In addition, they were asked about their fluid intake, caffeinated beverage intake, outdoor activity time, and physical activity to understand whether these factors changed the relationship between outdoor activity time and the brain
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In order to be able to include seasonal differences, the duration of sunshine during the study period was also taken into account
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The results of the study found that brain scans showed that participants’ time spent outdoors was positively correlated with the gray matter of the right dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex, which is the upper (dorsal) and lateral parts of the frontal cortex
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This part of the cortex is involved in the planning and regulation of actions and the so-called cognitive control
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In addition, many mental illnesses are known to be related to the reduction of gray matter in the prefrontal region of the brain
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The clusters of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) showed a positive correlation between the gray matter probability and the self-reported outdoor activity time.
The researchers performed statistical calculations to check the effect of sunshine time, idle time, physical activity, and fluid intake on the results.
Influence
.

Calculations show that regardless of other influencing factors, time spent outdoors has a positive effect on the brain
.

"Most mental illnesses are related to defects in the prefrontal cortex.
These findings provide neuroscience support for the treatment of mental disorders
.

As part of the treatment, doctors can prescribe a walk in the fresh air-similar to health treatments.
Convention," said Anna Mascherek, a postdoctoral researcher at the U.
S.
Department of Medicine
.

In summary, the results of this study show that when we spend outdoors, our brain structure and mood will be improved
.

This is likely to also affect attention, working memory, and the whole psychology
.

Reference: Simone Kühn et al, Spend time outdoors for your brain – an in-depth longitudinal MRI study, The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry (2021).
DOI: 10.
1080/15622975.
2021.
1938670