RecruitingNCT07508800

Effects of Brief Nature Exposure on Brain Functioning and Stress Reactivity

YONDER Study (Effects of Brief Nature Exposure on Brain Functioning and Stress Reactivity)

Sponsor

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Enrollment

20 participants

Start Date

Jan 1, 2026

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Conditions

Stress (Psychology)

Summary

This study is focused on understanding the impact of time spent in nature (relative to an urban control) on stress, neural, and cardiac functioning in people experiencing high levels of stress, depression, and anxiety.

Eligibility

Min Age: 18 YearsMax Age: 25 Years

Inclusion Criteria3

Meets cut-off for high level of perceived stress on PSS-10 during screening (>27 total score); Current or past depressive and anxiety disorders, if present on SCID-5 assessment, will be ncluded due to their high prevalence and overlap with perceived stress
Normal, or corrected to normal, vision (due to the visual nature of the EEG tasks)
If on psychotropic medication, stable regime for > 1 month

Exclusion Criteria3

Major medical conditions with CNS sequelae (e.g., seizure disorders, multiple sclerosis, significant, uncontrolled cardiovascular pathology) Past or present neurological problems (including seizures and head trauma resulting in neurological or cognitive sequelae)
IQ estimate <75 on the Test of Premorbid Functioning
Current or past history of severe mental illness (e.g., bipolar schizophrenia spectrum disorder, or current or past history of substance use disorders

Interested in this trial?

Get notified about updates and connect with the research team.

Interventions

OTHERNature vs. Urban walks

We will evaluate the impact of spending time in nature vs. an urban control on EEG-based measures of reward and attention and resting heart rate variability