{"title":"Default mode network connectivity contributes the augment effect stress recovery by natural viewing","authors":"Zini Chen , Chanyu Wang , Timothea Toulopoulou , Xiayan Chen , Lijing Niu , Haowei Dai , Qingzi Zhu , Yuanyuan Zeng , Ruibin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ynstr.2025.100759","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The psychological benefits of exposure to natural environments are well established. However, whether simply viewing nature images produce similar restorative effects and the brain mechanisms involved remain unclear. For study purposes, we recruited 131 healthy university students and randomly assigned them to a nature image viewing group (NG) or a city image viewing group (CG), with 49 participants further selected (NG = 26, CG = 23) to undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing behavioral tasks. First, we compared changes in subjective ratings and salivary cortisol levels, related to affect and stress between the NG and CG after stress induction and image viewing. Next, we examined differences in functional connectivity (FC) patterns of the default mode network (DMN) between the groups during image viewing. Finally, we explored correlations between the recovery effects observed after viewing nature images, along with alterations in FC. Under stress, NG participants reported greater changes in subjective ratings of positive affect (<em>t</em> = 2.610, <em>p</em> = 0.010), lower negative affect (<em>t</em> = −3.008, <em>p</em> = 0.003), and less state rumination (<em>t</em> = −2.103, <em>p</em> = 0.037). Neural data also suggest that connectivity of the DMN subsystems with attentional and executive regions plays a crucial role in modulating stress-related responses during natural experiences. Increased FC between the medial DMN subsystem and other networks was significantly correlated with behavioral recovery scores for both affect and state rumination. These findings indicate that viewing images of natural scenes can aid in stress recovery, highlighting the potential for indoor nature viewing to help mitigate psychological challenges faced in urban environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19125,"journal":{"name":"Neurobiology of Stress","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article 100759"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Neurobiology of Stress","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289525000530","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NEUROSCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The psychological benefits of exposure to natural environments are well established. However, whether simply viewing nature images produce similar restorative effects and the brain mechanisms involved remain unclear. For study purposes, we recruited 131 healthy university students and randomly assigned them to a nature image viewing group (NG) or a city image viewing group (CG), with 49 participants further selected (NG = 26, CG = 23) to undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing behavioral tasks. First, we compared changes in subjective ratings and salivary cortisol levels, related to affect and stress between the NG and CG after stress induction and image viewing. Next, we examined differences in functional connectivity (FC) patterns of the default mode network (DMN) between the groups during image viewing. Finally, we explored correlations between the recovery effects observed after viewing nature images, along with alterations in FC. Under stress, NG participants reported greater changes in subjective ratings of positive affect (t = 2.610, p = 0.010), lower negative affect (t = −3.008, p = 0.003), and less state rumination (t = −2.103, p = 0.037). Neural data also suggest that connectivity of the DMN subsystems with attentional and executive regions plays a crucial role in modulating stress-related responses during natural experiences. Increased FC between the medial DMN subsystem and other networks was significantly correlated with behavioral recovery scores for both affect and state rumination. These findings indicate that viewing images of natural scenes can aid in stress recovery, highlighting the potential for indoor nature viewing to help mitigate psychological challenges faced in urban environments.
期刊介绍:
Neurobiology of Stress is a multidisciplinary journal for the publication of original research and review articles on basic, translational and clinical research into stress and related disorders. It will focus on the impact of stress on the brain from cellular to behavioral functions and stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders (such as depression, trauma and anxiety). The translation of basic research findings into real-world applications will be a key aim of the journal.
Basic, translational and clinical research on the following topics as they relate to stress will be covered:
Molecular substrates and cell signaling,
Genetics and epigenetics,
Stress circuitry,
Structural and physiological plasticity,
Developmental Aspects,
Laboratory models of stress,
Neuroinflammation and pathology,
Memory and Cognition,
Motivational Processes,
Fear and Anxiety,
Stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders (including depression, PTSD, substance abuse),
Neuropsychopharmacology.