Presentation Type
Poster
Discipline Track
Community/Public Health
Abstract Type
Research/Clinical
Abstract
Background: Neuroscience and architecture are often combined to study the impact of environment, physical spaces, colors, shapes, and buildings on brain activity and health. This is an emerging field with distinct areas examining architecture in relation to neuroscience. Among the numerous elements of architecture, imageability seems to be of particular interest. Imageability refers to the quality of a physical space that evokes strong images in people’s mind, and influence cognitive functions including visual, memory, and spatial recall. It is hypothesized that environments, spaces, and buildings with poor imageability might negatively affect cognition, behavior, and brain health. Diverse studies have been conducted to test such a hypothesis however, there is a lack of compiled evidence that highlights how imageability and neurosciences are connected. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review to explore the current understanding of imageability from an architectural perspective in the study of neuroscience with focused on its implications for cognitive health and well-being.
Methods: This review conducted a comprehensive search across four electronic databases: EBSCO, OVID, PubMed, and Web of Science. Our search term included “Imageability” as the main key word combined (AND) with architecture, environment, built environment, neuroarchitecture, aphantasia, urban design, memorability, visual recall, mental visualization, architectural features, façade, wayfinding, familiarity, familiarity, architecture, familiarity, environment, and vividness. Eligibility criteria included peer-reviewed articles in English that focused on the relationship between imageability, health, and architecture. The synthesis of results was conducted following PRISMA's four-phase flow diagram.
Results: The initial search showed 5269 articles, which were screened to exclude duplicates (n=1763). Subsequently, we conducted a thorough review of the remaining 3506 articles and we excluded (n=3393) articles that were not related to the research, non-original research (n=24), systematic review (n=5), not enough data (n=3), non-related articles, and for various other reasons (n=13). The selected studies (n=61) highlighted the impact of architecture on cognitive, the role of urban design in mental health, and the application of brain imaging methods to assess the influence of built environments. Imageability involves and contributes to various cognitive processes such as memory, perception, sensation, and language depending on the type of stimuli used. Imagery was shown to activate the visual cortex and showed great activity in the anterior areas of the brain such as the insula, medial frontal cortex, and left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex.
Discussion: This review highlights the potential of integrating neuroscience into architectural design, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to enhance cognitive and brain health. Spaces with high imageability, characterized by distinctive, memorable features, can significantly influence cognitive processes, such as memory and spatial navigation. We found limited manuscripts about imageability in elderly people and this is a gap that warrants attention because of the alarming rates of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease-related disorders in elderly populations. The findings suggest that a more profound understanding of imageability within neuroarchitecture can lead to innovative design strategies that support mental and physical well-being.
Academic/Professional Position
Staff
Mentor/PI Department
Neuroscience
Recommended Citation
Maestre, Cristian; Garza, Shana; Mejia-Arango, Silvia; Melgarejo, Jesus D.; and Maestre, Gladys E., "Exploring Imageability through Architecture to Study Neuroscience: Preliminary Results of a Systemic Review" (2024). Research Symposium. 2.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/somrs/2024/posters/2
Exploring Imageability through Architecture to Study Neuroscience: Preliminary Results of a Systemic Review
Background: Neuroscience and architecture are often combined to study the impact of environment, physical spaces, colors, shapes, and buildings on brain activity and health. This is an emerging field with distinct areas examining architecture in relation to neuroscience. Among the numerous elements of architecture, imageability seems to be of particular interest. Imageability refers to the quality of a physical space that evokes strong images in people’s mind, and influence cognitive functions including visual, memory, and spatial recall. It is hypothesized that environments, spaces, and buildings with poor imageability might negatively affect cognition, behavior, and brain health. Diverse studies have been conducted to test such a hypothesis however, there is a lack of compiled evidence that highlights how imageability and neurosciences are connected. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review to explore the current understanding of imageability from an architectural perspective in the study of neuroscience with focused on its implications for cognitive health and well-being.
Methods: This review conducted a comprehensive search across four electronic databases: EBSCO, OVID, PubMed, and Web of Science. Our search term included “Imageability” as the main key word combined (AND) with architecture, environment, built environment, neuroarchitecture, aphantasia, urban design, memorability, visual recall, mental visualization, architectural features, façade, wayfinding, familiarity, familiarity, architecture, familiarity, environment, and vividness. Eligibility criteria included peer-reviewed articles in English that focused on the relationship between imageability, health, and architecture. The synthesis of results was conducted following PRISMA's four-phase flow diagram.
Results: The initial search showed 5269 articles, which were screened to exclude duplicates (n=1763). Subsequently, we conducted a thorough review of the remaining 3506 articles and we excluded (n=3393) articles that were not related to the research, non-original research (n=24), systematic review (n=5), not enough data (n=3), non-related articles, and for various other reasons (n=13). The selected studies (n=61) highlighted the impact of architecture on cognitive, the role of urban design in mental health, and the application of brain imaging methods to assess the influence of built environments. Imageability involves and contributes to various cognitive processes such as memory, perception, sensation, and language depending on the type of stimuli used. Imagery was shown to activate the visual cortex and showed great activity in the anterior areas of the brain such as the insula, medial frontal cortex, and left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex.
Discussion: This review highlights the potential of integrating neuroscience into architectural design, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to enhance cognitive and brain health. Spaces with high imageability, characterized by distinctive, memorable features, can significantly influence cognitive processes, such as memory and spatial navigation. We found limited manuscripts about imageability in elderly people and this is a gap that warrants attention because of the alarming rates of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease-related disorders in elderly populations. The findings suggest that a more profound understanding of imageability within neuroarchitecture can lead to innovative design strategies that support mental and physical well-being.