Attention restoration during environmental exposure via alpha-theta oscillations and synchronization

Abstract Evidence has revealed that exposure to a restorative environment can have health and cognitive benefits, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study was designed to explore the neural mechanism of environmental restorative experiences. We conducted an experiment by randomly exposing thirty-two participants to either 20 min of a restorative (wooded garden) or a nonrestorative (traffic island) environment. Participants’ real-time electroencephalogram (EEG) signals were monitored via a 14-channel mobile device during the exposure. They also completed a series of psychological assessments of affective and cognitive functioning, as well as the perceived restorativeness of the environment, before and after the exposure. The results revealed stronger and more efficient alpha-theta synchronization (functional connectivity) during the restorative experience, as well as stronger alpha-theta oscillations in the occipital lobes. Regression analysis revealed that perceived coherence was associated with the efficiency of the alpha-theta synchronization network (alpha: coef. = 2.02, 95% CI [0.68, 3.36], p = 0.020, R2 = 23.97%; theta: coef. = 2.41, 95% CI [1.30, 3.52], p