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Viewing nature scenes positively affects recovery of autonomic function following acute-mental stress.

ABSTRACT: A randomized crossover study explored whether viewing different scenes prior to a stressor altered autonomic function during the recovery from the stressor. The two scenes were (a) nature (composed of trees, grass, fields) or (b) built (composed of man-made, urban scenes lacking natural characteristics) environments. Autonomic function was assessed using noninvasive techniques of heart rate variability; in particular, time domain analyses evaluated parasympathetic activity, using root-mean-square of successive differences (RMSSD). During stress, secondary cardiovascular markers (heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure) showed significant increases from baseline which did not differ between the two viewing conditions. Parasympathetic activity, however, was significantly higher in recovery following the stressor in the viewing scenes of nature condition compared to viewing scenes depicting built environments (RMSSD; 50.0 ± 31.3 vs 34.8 ± 14.8 ms). Thus, viewing nature scenes prior to a stressor alters autonomic activity in the recovery period. The secondary aim was to examine autonomic function during viewing of the two scenes. Standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDRR), as change from baseline, during the first 5 min of viewing nature scenes was greater than during built scenes. Overall, this suggests that nature can elicit improvements in the recovery process following a stressor.

SUBMITTER: Brown DK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3699874 | biostudies-other | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:Background. Osteoporosis is "a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences." Bone morphology and tissue quality co-adapt during ontogeny for sufficient bone stiffness. Altered bone morphology from hypothalamic amenorrhea, a risk factor for low bone mass in women, may affect bone strength later in life. Our purpose was to determine if altered morphology following hypothalamic suppression during development affects cortical bone strength and trabecular bone volume (BV/TV) at maturity. Methods. Female rats (25 days old) were assigned to a control (C) group (n = 45) that received saline injections (.2 cc) or an experimental group (GnRH-a) (n = 45) that received gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist injections (.24 mg per dose) for 25 days. Fifteen animals from each group were sacrificed immediately after the injection protocol at Day 50 (C, GnRH-a). The remaining animals recovered for 135 days and a subset of each group was sacrificed at Day 185 ((C-R) (n = 15) and (G-R) (n = 15)). The remaining animals had an ovariectomy surgery (OVX) at 185 days of age and were sacrificed 40 days later (C-OVX) (n = 15) and (G-OVX) (n = 15). After sacrifice femurs were mechanically tested and scanned using micro CT. Serum C-terminal telopeptides (CTX) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) were measured. Two-way ANOVA (2 groups (GnRH-a and Control) X 3 time points (Injection Protocol, Recovery, post-OVX)) was computed. Results. GnRH-a injections suppressed uterine weights (72%) and increased CTX levels by 59%. Bone stiffness was greater in the GnRH-a groups compared to C. Ash content and cortical bone area were similar between groups at all time points. Polar moment of inertia, a measure of bone architecture, was 15% larger in the GnRH-a group and remained larger than C (19%) following recovery. Both the polar moment of inertia and cortical area increased linearly with the increases in body weight. Following the injection protocol, trabecular BV/TV was 31% lower in the GnRH-a group compared to C, a similar deficit in BV/TV was also measured following recovery and post-OVX. The trabecular number and thickness were lower in the GnRH-a group compared to control. Conclusion. These data suggest that following a transient delay in pubertal onset, trabecular bone volume was significantly lower and no restoration of bone volume occurred following recovery or post-OVX surgery. However, cortical bone strength was maintained through architectural adaptations in the cortical bone envelope. An increase in the polar moment of inertia offset increased bone resorption. The current data are the first to suppress trabecular bone during growth, and then add an OVX protocol at maturity. Trabecular bone and cortical bone differed in their response to hypothalamic suppression during development; trabecular bone was more sensitive to the negative effects of hypothalamic suppression.

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Viewing nature scenes positively affects recovery of autonomic function following acute-mental stress.

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