Unravelling the impact on attention and emotions on neurophysiological responses to a multisensory experience of nature

Exposure to natural environments has been linked to improved well-being, reduced stress, and enhanced attention. This study examined neurophysiological and behavioral effects of multisensory nature exposure (visual, auditory, and olfactory) compared to urban environments. Thirty-two right-handed women (25-49 years) performed a Go/No-Go task while EEG, electrodermal activity (EDA), and heart rate (HR) were recorded. Participants experienced images alone, images with sounds, images with odors, and images with both sounds and odors. Behavioral results showed improved task performance in natural environments, with more correct responses. However, odor-enriched conditions increased errors, suggesting that olfactory inputs may interfere with attention. Psychophysiological measures indicated lower skin conductance response (SCR) frequency in natural environments, especially under multisensory stimulation, consistent with reduced sympathetic arousal. EEG data revealed clear neural differences: the P1-N1 complex, linked to attentional effort, had greater amplitude in urban contexts, while the early posterior negativity (EPN), related to emotional processing, was stronger in natural conditions. Source localization associated EPN effects with the right occipital and inferior frontal gyrus. These findings support Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Reduction Theory (SRT), highlighting nature's restorative potential. Sensory enrichment appeared to strengthen emotional engagement while modulating attentional performance. Results emphasize the value of multisensory perspectives in environmental neuroscience and point to EEG biomarkers as sensitive indicators of cognitive and affective processes. Future work should extend these insights to real-world settings using mobile neurophysiological methods.