Investigating the Associations of Retrospectively Assessed Childhood and Current Nature Exposure With Hippocampal Grey Matter Volume in Healthy Adults

Kakies, Carolina (2025) Investigating the Associations of Retrospectively Assessed Childhood and Current Nature Exposure With Hippocampal Grey Matter Volume in Healthy Adults. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Previous research has linked exposure to natural environments with various cognitive and health benefits, whereas its relationship with underlying brain structures remains underexplored. The hippocampus, a structure critically involved in memory, learning, and spatial navigation, is characterized by exceptionally high neuronal plasticity and thus particularly sensitive to a range of environmental influences during childhood and across the lifespan. Among these influences, exposure to nature has gained increased attention considering the current shift to urban living environments. Nevertheless, assessing nature exposure remains methodologically challenging and varies among existing research. The present thesis focuses on residential nature exposure, measured through mean tree cover density assessments of participants' residential environments, and intentional nature exposure, subjectively assessed through questionnaires. The associations between nature exposure during childhood (n = 64, retrospectively assessed) and at present day (n = 65) with hippocampal grey matter volume in healthy adults are examined in two separate multilinear regression models with hippocampal grey matter volume derived from structural MRI data. It was hypothesized that participants with greater nature exposure during childhood (H1) and at present day (H2) would show increased hippocampal grey matter volume. Neither predictor was statistically significant, leading to the rejection of both hypotheses. These findings highlight the complexity of the relationship and suggest that structural effects may be more subtle, indirect, or mediated by other variables.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Nieuwenstein, M.R.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	29 Jul 2025 09:04
Last Modified:	29 Jul 2025 09:04
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5764

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