Forest Therapy as a Nature-Based Intervention: An Option for Neurological Rehabilitation?

Area of Science:

• Environmental Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Forest therapy positively impacts mood, immune function, stress, and overall well-being.
• Evidence supports its use for depression, stress-related disorders, sleep issues, and hypertension.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evidence for forest therapy in treating chronic neurological diseases.
• Focus areas include stroke rehabilitation, Parkinson's disease, dementia, and multiple sclerosis.

Main Methods:

• Searched Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane databases from 1970 to mid-2023.
• Included clinical trials without language restrictions.
• Examined studies on stroke, Parkinson's, dementia, and multiple sclerosis.

Main Results:

• Few studies with positive indications were found, but sample sizes were too small for generalizable conclusions.
• Two studies on stroke patients showed slight benefits in depression scores (SMD -0.43).
• One study indicated higher stroke survival rates in greener environments; some dementia interventions showed specific benefits.

Conclusions:

• Currently, there is insufficient evidence to generalize the benefits of forest therapy for chronic neurological diseases.
• However, preliminary findings suggest potential positive effects.
• Forest therapy is proposed as a complementary component in multimodal neurological rehabilitation.