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HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.
Sec. Brain Health and Clinical Neuroscience
Volume 18 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1436179

Neurosustainability

Provisionally accepted
  • Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and History of Art, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The human brain is in a constant state of change, evolving to dominate nature with increasing sophistication. However, this evolution has introduced a paradox: while the modern environment contributes to the de-evolution of the human brain, it also contains the antidote for its neuroplasticity. This paper introduces Neurosustainability as a novel paradigm that addresses the static state of contemporary living and its impact on the brain's neuroplasticity. It calls for a paradigm shift to move beyond the contemporary by going back to nature without having to go back in time where epigenetics mediates the neuroplastic processes and promises Neurosustainability as a long-term trait. Through an innovative neuro-evidenced framework comprising four enrichment scopes-spatial, natural, aesthetic, and social complexities holding multifaceted, interrelated attributes embedded in nature-we can harness the quintessential essence of nature to sustain and enhance the neuroplasticity of the human brain. Neurosustainability advocates integrating these multifaceted natural attributes into architecture and urban design, viewing them as independent variables that continuously architect the human brain. This approach aims to foster cognitive health and psychological resilience, addressing the pervasive issues of depression, anxiety, stress, and cognitive decline, thereby offering a pathway to more lifelong sustainable human brain health.

    Keywords: neuroplasticity, environmental enrichment, nature, spatial complexity, Cortical Thickness and Gray Matter volume, adult hippocampal neurogenesis, Amygdala and stress, Human Brain Health

    Received: 21 May 2024; Accepted: 07 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Khalil. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Mohamed H. Khalil, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and History of Art, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.