Increased activity in the right prefrontal cortex measured using near-infrared spectroscopy during a flower arrangement task.

OBJECTIVE: Flower arrangement program (FAP) horticultural therapy promotes psychological, social and physiological wellness and recovery. Moreover, FAPs have been used to evaluate the outcomes related to visuospatial working memory; yet, most of these studies used subjective outcome measures such as behavioural observations and questionnaires. Few studies report objective evaluations of FAP effects in humans. In the present study, we measured the effects of an FAP task on frontal lobe activity in healthy participants using near-infrared spectroscopy. We quantified salivary amylase levels as an indicator of stress level during the FAP.

METHODS: The FAP task involved a predetermined arrangement pattern of natural materials (flowers and leaves) that required the participants to identify where a given material should be placed and temporarily memorise the designated position to complete the flower arrangement. The FAP task was compared to the block-tapping task (BTT), which is routinely used to evaluate visuospatial working memory.

RESULTS: Both the FAP task and BTT positively stimulated the right prefrontal cortex; however, stress was more effectively limited during the performance of the FAP task.

CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that FAP therapy may be useful for the rehabilitation of patients who are sensitive to stress.