Brain waves and landscape settings: emotional responses to attractiveness.

Neuro-architecture is a specific branch of architecture that studies how the physical environment can change our mental processes and influence our behaviors. One of the main purposes of this field is to use changes in brain activities as a measure to quantify attractiveness of the landscapes. In this study, we investigated how changes in elements of attractiveness influence ones' emotional perception and present the related pattern of changes in brain activities. Therefore, we implied five elements of attractiveness including mystery, visual openness, landscape or greenness, walkability, and social interaction using the Delphi method. Then, we made changes in each element separately to make the landscape more attractive and assessed their effects on a group of young adults. We used the self-assessment manikin questionnaire to measure the participants' emotional perception while the participants' brain activities were recorded using a 32-channel EEG while exposed to the landscape images. The results showed that changes in attractive elements of the landscape could significantly improve ones' emotional perception of the landscape. In addition, these changes are perceived by changing the oscillatory pattern of brain activities. We hope these findings could shed a light to use of neural markers in measurement of place attractiveness.

The impact of wavelength on acute non-visual responses to light: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Light is detected in the eye by three classes of photoreceptors (rods, cones, and intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs)) that are each optimized for a specific function and express a particular light-detecting photopigment. The significant role of short-wavelength light and ipRGCs in improving alertness has been well-established; however, few reviews have been undertaken to assess the other wavelengths' effects regarding timing and intensity. This study aims to evaluate the impact of different narrowband light wavelengths on subjective and objective alertness among the 36 studies included in this systematic review, 17 of which were meta-analyzed. Short-wavelength light (∼460-480 nm) significantly improves subjective alertness, cognitive function, and neurological brain activities at night, even for a sustained period (∼6h) (for λmax: 470/475 nm, 0.4 < |Hedges's g| < 0.6, p < 0.05), but except early morning, it almost does not show this effect during the day when melatonin level is lowest. Long-wavelength light (∼600-640 nm) has little effect at night, but significantly increases several measures of alertness at lower irradiance during the daytime (∼1h), particularly when there is homeostatic sleep drive (for λmax: ∼630 nm, 0.5 < |Hedges's g| < 0.8, p < 0.05). The results further suggest that melanopic illuminance may not always be sufficient to measure the alerting effect of light.

Husbands' Perception of Environmental Characteristics During Participation in Physiologic Delivery.

Objective: Nowadays, the presence of husbands during the childbirth process is regarded as an important factor that can contribute to lower rate of the C-section, better success of physiologic delivery and higher satisfaction in childbirth experience. Considering the special sociocultural characteristics of the Iranian society, this method requires accurate assessment to be practical and effective. The aim of this research was finding out how husbands perceive the environmental and physical characteristics of delivery spaces via studying these physical characteristics, exploring them through husbands' perception and finally discovering the mechanism behind formation of this perception. Materials and methods: First, the conceptual model of the study was developed after a review of the physiologic childbirth literature. Then, a research questionnaire was designed and distributed among 120 husbands who recently had the experience of accompanying their wives during physiologic childbirth. Results: The results showed that light, color and temperature play a significant role in husbands' perception of delivery spaces under the special psychological conditions and stress that they experience during the childbirth. Designer should pay due attention to these three factors when designing the structure of childbirth spaces. Conclusion: Promoting the environmental quality of the physiologic delivery room based on husband's perception can help mothers and medical staff better manage childbirth pain which is an integral part of natural childbirths.

Exploring Methodological Approaches of Experimental Studies in the Field of Neuroarchitecture: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aims to strengthen the relationship between architecture and neuroscience by classifying data measurement techniques in the field of neuroarchitecture with a focus on the most practical and common methodological approaches. It classifies data recording techniques in different architectural categories (e.g., interior, urban, built environment). BACKGROUNDS: With regard to urban life developments and technological breakthroughs, studies of human interactions with environments have been expanding in recent years. Additionally, recent advances in neuroscience have allowed architects to find out more about human experiences in built environments, but there are few valid frameworks about what methodologies and instruments are more common to conduct experimental tasks in this interdisciplinary field. METHODS: Twenty-eight experimental studies were selected based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses literature search extension (PRISMA) systematic review protocol and a comprehensive analysis. The task-space of selected articles was categorized into three subfields, namely, "interior design," "urban design," and "building design" based on environments and their stimuli. As for this context-based categorization, recording techniques and methodology were distinguished for each subfield division. RESULTS: More than 50% of the studies were incorporated in the first two categories, and the EEG recording was the most frequently employed neuroimaging technique thanks to the technical efficacy of its setup and the high temporal resolution of its electrophysiological signals. CONCLUSION: In this study, a summary of techniques and methodological approaches applied in the field is provided in a nut shell, and a general framework of instruments is presented to help scholars to carry out more practical research in the future leading to designing built environments more efficiently.