Residential green space and air pollution are associated with brain activation in a social-stress paradigm

authored by

Annika Dimitrov-Discher, Julia Wenzel, Nadja Kabisch, Jan Hemmerling, Maxie Bunz, Jonas Schöndorf, Henrik Walter, Ilya M. Veer, Mazda Adli

Abstract

We examined the influence of three major environmental variables at the place of residence as potential moderating variables for neurofunctional activation during a social-stress paradigm. Data from functional magnetic resonance imaging of 42 male participants were linked to publicly accessible governmental databases providing information on amount of green space, air pollution, and noise pollution. We hypothesized that stress-related brain activation in regions important for emotion regulation were associated positively with green space and associated negatively with air pollution and noise pollution. A higher percentage of green space was associated with stronger parietal and insular activation during stress compared with that in the control condition. More air pollution was associated with weaker activation in the same (but also extended) brain regions. These findings may serve as an important reference for future studies in the emerging field of “neuro-urbanism” and emphasize the importance of environmental factors in urban planning.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Physical Geography and Landscape Ecology
Digital Landscape Ecology Group

External Organisation(s)

Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU Berlin)
German government environmental agency (UBA)
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ)
University of Amsterdam
Fliedner Klinik Berlin

Type

Article

Journal

Scientific reports

Volume

12

ISSN

2045-2322

Publication date

12.2022

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14659-z (Access: Open)