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NCT Number: NCT06483126

The Benefits of Nature for Mood and Cognition in Persons With and Without Parkinson's Disease

This online study aims to explore the benefits of nature for mood and cognition in persons with and without Parkinson's disease. For the purpose of this survey, "natural environment" refers to places that primarily consist of natural elements, such as vegetation, water bodies, and landscapes. This includes greenspaces (such as parks, gardens, neighborhood streets lined with trees, forests, or nature reserves) bluespaces (such as next to beaches, lakes, rivers, ponds, or waterfronts), and desert regions, among others.

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Key information

Conditions

Parkinson Disease Basal Ganglia Diseases Brain Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Cognition Mood Movement Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurodegenerative Diseases Parkinsonian Disorders Synucleinopathies

Age range

40 year–100 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Vision and Cognition Laboratory, Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States

About this study

To participate in this online study, you will need an email address, and a smartphone or laptop/desktop with internet access. If you are eligible to participate, you will be sent a link to an online survey (Qualtrics). We will ask questions about demographic and health information, followed by questions about exercise habits, exposure to natural environments (including greenspaces and bluespaces, among others), and questionnaires assessing mood, motivation, cognition, sleep, stress, quality of life, and related functions. The survey should take roughly 20-25 minutes to complete. This is an observational study only, and not an interventional study.

Compensation: A $15 Amazon gift card will be offered to those who complete the survey all the way through with good effort.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

For persons with Parkinson's disease:

  • Participants must be at least 40 years old
  • Have a diagnosis of idiopathic PD
  • Be proficient English speakers
  • Have functional vision
  • Have internet access, and access to a smartphone/laptop/desktop

For persons without Parkinson's disease:

  • Participants must be healthy middle-aged and older adults, with no diagnosis of neurological/neurodegenerative conditions
  • Participants must be at least 40 years old
  • Be proficient English speakers
  • Have functional vision
  • Have internet access, and access to a smartphone/laptop/desktop

Exclusion criteria

(both groups):

  • Diagnosis of dementia
  • Poor vision (non-functional range)
  • Lack of access to internet or to a smartphone/ laptop/desktop computer.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Nature Connection Index

    Time frame: Baseline

    Assesses the extent to which people feel connected to nature.

  2. Perceived Restorativeness Scale

    Time frame: Baseline

    Assesses the extent to which particular environments have restorative qualities. Higher scores indicate greater perceived restorativeness.

  3. Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D)

    Time frame: Baseline

    Assesses depressive symptoms in the general population. Maximum score:60. Higher scores indicate more severe depression.

  4. Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2

    Time frame: Baseline

    Assesses sleep and nocturnal disturbances in Parkinson's disease. Maximum score: 60. Higher scores indicate more frequent sleep disturbances.

  5. Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire - 8 (PDQ-8)

    Time frame: Baseline

    Assesses Parkinson's disease-specific health-related quality of life. Maximum Score: 32. Higher scores indicate worse quality of life.

  6. Perceived Stress Scale

    Time frame: Baseline

    Assesses how different situations affect feelings and perception of stress. Maximum score: 40. Higher scores indicate higher perceived stress.

  7. NIH NeuroQoL measures

    Time frame: Baseline

    Assesses health-related quality of life in adults with neurological disorders. Higher scores on the sub-scales indicate worse outcomes.

  8. Parkinson's Anxiety Scale (PAS)

    Time frame: Baseline

    Assesses the severity of anxiety symptoms in persons with Parkinson's disease. Maximum score:48. Higher scores indicate more severe anxiety.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Boston University Charles River Campus

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Jul 3, 2024
Registry last updated
Sep 19, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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