Green spaces — even that small garden outside a nursing home — can have some big benefits for older adults in terms of their brain health. A new study finds that lack of access to green space, along with low income, can have negative impacts on an individual’s brain health.
“Social determinants of health have a major impact on cognition, as well as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health,” Lilah Besser, PhD, lead author and a research assistant professor of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, told HealthDay.
The study was published on Wednesday in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
The research used data from 1,260 people who had two MRIs taken five years apart and normal cognitive abilities. All of the participants were 65 or older. The scientists evaluated changes in white matter hyperintensities and brain ventricle size. White matter hyperintensities have been linked to higher risks for Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and stroke. The researchers also looked at the individuals’ income and their access to green spaces, such as parks.
People in neighborhoods that had less green spaces and lower incomes were 1.73 times more likely for white matter worsening compared to those in areas with more green spaces and overall higher incomes, according to the data.
“We found that white matter worsening was more likely for individuals in lower green space/lower income neighborhoods than higher green space/higher income neighborhoods,” Besser said. “This combination may be a risk factor for brain health, but further research is needed.”
As people age, green spaces and neighborhoods are important because people may drive less, have more time on their hands or have medical issues.
“Green spaces can provide quiet moments for older adults to refresh their brains, reduce chronic stress and increase physical activity,” Besser said. “It is one of the social determinants of health that can be modified by policy interventions, such as creating more parks and planting more trees.”
