University of Utah researchers are investigating whether virtual reality (VR) nature experiences can reduce stress and improve mood among patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who spend prolonged periods in hospital for seizure monitoring.

The pilot study places patients inside natural and urban scenes while researchers use electrodes already implanted in their brains to track responses. Preliminary findings are encouraging, but the study is ongoing and researchers need data from more patients before drawing firm conclusions.

A Rare Window Into the Brain

Led by Rhiannon Cowan, a research associate in the University of Utah's Department of Neurosurgery, the project is described as the first study to combine virtual nature immersion with simultaneous recordings from electrodes placed deep inside the brain.

Previous research into nature exposure has relied on questionnaires, scalp recordings or functional magnetic resonance imaging. The study compares natural and urban environments to examine effects on mood, stress and attention.

The research focuses on people whose seizures are not adequately controlled by medication. Some undergo surgery to have multiple electrodes placed in deep brain structures, helping doctors identify where seizures begin. During subsequent monitoring, patients remain tethered to recording equipment and cannot leave their beds unaccompanied.

How the Virtual Nature Sessions Work

Production company HabitatXR created the virtual environments using high-resolution 3D video and immersive audio. One features a waterfall and greenery; the other presents an urban streetscape, with a pedestrian walking past and an avenue visible to the viewer.

The comparison allows researchers to examine whether virtual nature produces different responses from an equally immersive urban environment, rather than simply providing a temporary change of scenery.

Patients experience one environment a few days after admission and the other several days later, allowing researchers to compare their responses to each setting. Cowan said patients had so far responded positively.

The team is examining the idea that natural settings are 'softly fascinating': they hold attention without demanding the same effort as more stimulating surroundings. That distinction may help explain why nature could affect attention differently from a busy city scene. Researchers hope this may let the brain's attention system rest.

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What the Early Findings Show

In a small preliminary sample, patients reported lower stress and less negative affect after the nature scene than after the urban environment. Researchers also observed changes in brain activity during nature sessions and signs that participants may have become better at handling distracting information afterwards. The university said more patient data are needed.

An early observation was increased alpha brain-wave activity during nature immersion, which was not seen in the urban condition. The researchers associate alpha brain-wave activity with alertness and mood. However, the preliminary observation does not establish whether the changes produce lasting psychological benefits.

The work is supported by Nature and Human Health-Utah's pilot grant programme. Cowan's research collaborators include Elliot Smith, David Strayer, Jeanine Stefanucci and Amy McDonnell. The team also works with neurosurgeons Shervin Rahimpour and Ben Shofty.

The researchers say the approach could eventually help people in hospitals, long-term care settings, correctional facilities and other places where outdoor access is limited. For now, VR is an experimental way to bring nature indoors, not a proven treatment for epilepsy or depression. The university says it is not a substitute for going outside when that is possible.

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