title: Mind-wandering and alterations to default mode network connectivity when listening to naturalistic versus artificial sounds.
abstract: Naturalistic environments have been demonstrated to promote relaxation and wellbeing. We assess opposing theoretical accounts for these effects through investigation of autonomic arousal and alterations of activation and functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) of the brain while participants listened to sounds from artificial and natural environments. We found no evidence for increased DMN activity in the naturalistic compared to artificial or control condition, however, seed based functional connectivity showed a shift from anterior to posterior midline functional coupling in the naturalistic condition. These changes were accompanied by an increase in peak high frequency heart rate variability, indicating an increase in parasympathetic activity in the naturalistic condition in line with the Stress Recovery Theory of nature exposure. Changes in heart rate and the peak high frequency were correlated with baseline functional connectivity within the DMN and baseline parasympathetic tone respectively, highlighting the importance of individual neural and autonomic differences in the response to nature exposure. Our findings may help explain reported health benefits of exposure to natural environments, through identification of alterations to autonomic activity and functional coupling within the DMN when listening to naturalistic sounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.|Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: Cassandra D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Gould van Praag
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.|Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: Sarah N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Garfinkel
authors.affiliation: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sparasci
authors.affiliation: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mees
authors.affiliation: Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Philippides
authors.affiliation: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.|Wavelength Project, Exeter, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ware
authors.affiliation: Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ottaviani
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.|Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: Hugo D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Critchley
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D013016:Sound; D055815:Young Adult