Green exercise versus indoor urban exercise: Related frontal brain thickness and cognitive performance

Abstract

Background and aimsThis study compared, for the first time, cognitive function, and the cortical thickness of frontal areas in healthy adults who exercise regularly in outdoor green spaces ("green exercise group," GEG; n=22, mean age=39.91 years, females=11) with those who exercise in indoor urban settings ("urban exercise group," UEG; n=25, mean age=40 years, females=11). We further explored the associations between frontal brain thickness and cognitive measures in each group separately. MethodForty-seven healthy adults participated. All underwent a neuropsychological evaluation for short-term memory, working memory, and attention. High-resolution T1-weighted 3D magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired for each participant. The thickness of frontal brain regions was extracted and exported to JASP software for statistical analyses. ResultsThe GEG performed better on working memory and short-term memory tasks compared to the UEG. Additionally, the GEG exhibited increased thickness in the right anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and the right superior frontal sulcus (rSFS). These areas were associated with short-term memory within the GEG. Fisher's test and Zou's intervals revealed that only the correlation between the rSFS and short-term memory was significantly different between the UEG and GEG. ConclusionThese findings suggest that exercising in outdoor natural areas might be related to better cognitive function and greater brain thickness in frontal areas. This study will contribute to the growing body of evidence linking brain, cognition and exercising in natural areas. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the underlying mechanisms.