Neural networks involved in artistic creativity

Abstract

Creativity has been proposed to be either the result of solely right hemisphere processes or of interhemispheric interactions. Little information is available, however, concerning the neuronal foundations of creativity. In this study, we introduced a new artistic task, designing a new tool (a pen), which let us quantitatively evaluate creativity by three indices of originality. These scores were analyzed in combination with brain activities measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results were compared between subjects who had been formally trained in design (experts) and novice subjects. In the experts, creativity was quantitatively correlated with the degree of dominance of the right prefrontal cortex over that of the left, but not with that of the right or left prefrontal cortex alone. In contrast, in novice subjects, only a negative correlation with creativity was observed in the bilateral inferior parietal cortex. We introduced structure equation modeling to analyze the interactions among these four brain areas and originality indices. The results predicted that training exerts a direct effect on the left parietal cortex. Additionally, as a result of the indirect effects, the activity of the right prefrontal cortex was facilitated, and the left prefrontal and right parietal cortices were suppressed. Our results supported the hypothesis that training increases creativity via reorganized intercortical interactions.

New advances in the neural correlates of insight: A decade in review of the insightful brain

“…The right ACC may be associated with the detection of cognitive conflicts between old and new ideas during insight problem solving and resolution. The specific role of the bilateral PCC is not clear, but neuroimaging studies on creative thinking have shown that the right PCC is activated in novices operating a digit count task [37]. Neuroimaging studies on the neural correlates of economic and moral decision-making demonstrate that the bilateral PCC (especially the right PCC) is associated with the expected reward probability of expected economic utility [38], expected moral utility, practical moral utility, and event probabilities (primarily right PCC) [39].…”

Brain activity and connectivity during poetry composition: Toward a multidimensional model of the creative process

“…In a sense, the acquisition and subsequent training of a skill can be viewed as preceding and potentially modulating activity during both generation and revision [Wallas, 1926]. A few neuroimaging studies have explored differences between trained and untrained individuals during the generation phase, as subjects engaged in real [Berkowitz and Ansari, 2010] or imagined artistic tasks [Bhattacharya and Petsche, 2005; Fink et al, 2009; Kowatari et al, 2009]. Although all studies reported differences between experts and novices, the results are subtle and somewhat variable.…”

Kreativität und Schlaf

“…B. rechtsseitige präfrontale Aktivität mit semantischem divergenten Denken in Verbindung gebracht [49]. Zudem zeigt sich eine stärkere rechtsseitige präfrontale Aktivierung bei kreativen gegenüber weniger kreativen Probanden während der Bearbeitung von Kreativitätsaufgaben [12,54]. Aber auch linksseitige präfrontale Aktivität wird mit kreativen Kognitionen in Verbindung gebracht [5,32].…”