Day2Day

Research has shown that even day-to-day changes in the time spent outdoors can influence mood and even alter grey matter volume in certain brain regions. But what specific environmental factors drive these changes? Could it be light exposure, air quality, or type of space—green versus urban—or something else? The Day2Day Environment study aims to answer these questions.

Participants undergo regular MRI scans (25 in total) and monitor their daily environment during the 24 hours before each scan, tracking factors such as air and noise pollution, light exposure, time spent in green versus urban spaces, physical activity, stress level, cognitive capacity, and emotional state. The purpose of this study is to better understand how our everyday environments impact our well-being.

Literature 

Falkenstein, K., Pauley, C., & Kühn, S. (2025). Investigating effects of day-to-day variations in environmental exposure on the human brain: The Day2Day Environment project. PsyArXiv, February 27, 2025. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/wt5zs_v1 

Kühn, S., Mascherek, A., Filevich, E., Lisofsky, N., Becker, M., Butler, O., Lochstet M., Mårtensson J., Wenger E., Lindenberger, U. & Gallinat, J. (2022) Spend time outdoors for your brain – an in-depth longitudinal MRI study. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 23:3, 201–207. https://doi.org/10.1080/15622975.2021.1938670