Physiological Effects of Touching Wood.

Harumi Ikei,Yoshifumi Miyazaki,Chorong Song

doi:10.3390/ijerph14070801

Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the physiological effects of touching wood with the palm, in comparison with touching other materials on brain activity and autonomic nervous activity. Eighteen female university students (mean age, 21.7 ± 1.6 years) participated in the study. As an indicator of brain activity, oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentrations were measured in the left/right prefrontal cortex using near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy. Heart rate variability (HRV) was used as an indicator of autonomic nervous activity. The high-frequency (HF) component of HRV, which reflected parasympathetic nervous activity, and the low-frequency (LF)/HF ratio, which reflected sympathetic nervous activity, were measured. Plates of uncoated white oak, marble, tile, and stainless steel were used as tactile stimuli. After sitting at rest with their eyes closed, participants touched the materials for 90 s. As a result, tactile stimulation with white oak significantly (1) decreased the oxy-Hb concentration in the left/right prefrontal cortex relative to marble, tile, and stainless steel and (2) increased ln(HF)-reflected parasympathetic nervous activity relative to marble and stainless steel. In conclusion, our study revealed that touching wood with the palm calms prefrontal cortex activity and induces parasympathetic nervous activity more than other materials, thereby inducing physiological relaxation.

Highlights

Wood is a familiar natural material that has been used in houses and furniture for a long time, and it is empirically known to have a relaxing effect on humans
We investigated the physiological effects of touching wood in comparison with touching other materials on the left and right prefrontal cortex activity, assessed using near-infrared time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS), and on the autonomic nervous activity, assessed using heart rate variability (HRV)
This study aimed to clarify the effects of touching wood in comparison with touching other materials on the activity in the left and right prefrontal cortex, assessed using TRS, and on autonomic materials on the activity in the left and right prefrontal cortex, assessed using TRS, and on autonomic nervous activity, assessed using Heart rate variability (HRV)

Summary

Introduction

Wood is a familiar natural material that has been used in houses and furniture for a long time, and it is empirically known to have a relaxing effect on humans. The Forestry Agency has been encouraging the use of wood and is expanding its moku-iku (“moku” implies “wood” and “iku” implies “nurture”) initiative [1]. First coined in 2004 [2], moku-iku is an expression that has been defined in many ways; these include “an initiative to encourage all people, including children, to interact with wood, learn from wood, and live with wood Project Team [2])” and “educational activities regarding the use of wood to teach about the merit of wood as a material and the significance of using wood (Forestry Agency [1])”. Miyazaki has proposed a new concept of moku-iku: how the “quality of life is improved by being brought up in

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion