Relationship between Creative Inspiration, Self-Evaluated Satisfaction and Brain Activity through Simplified Music Composition

Abstract

The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is an important target for a research which attempt to elucidate and control at will of higher brain function using non-invasive neuroimaging techniques. In particular, creativity is specific higher human brain function and integral for evolution of human society. Creative inspirations generated during creative activity often solve hard problems and lead us in the good direction. The present study examined the PFC activity when creative inspiration happened and an influence of difference of brain activity on quality of creation, using the simplified music composition task and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Deeply understanding these brain function possibly builds a foundation for development of methods to stimulate brain activation for creativity.The PFC activity measurements were achieved by measuring oxygen metabolism in cerebral blood flow (CBF) using 10-channel wearable optical topography (WOT-100, NeU Ltd.). We invested new simplified method of music composition to analyze brain activity of a person without instruments experience. A report of creative inspirations was conducted by raising subject's hand as possible as small during the music composition task and we compared statistically brain activity of before and after inspirations. Correlation coefficient between brain activity and selfevaluation measured by visual analog scale (VAS) was investigated.The present research found that right ventrolateral PFC is activated by creative inspiration. Significant brain activation of 4 subjects out of participated 5 subjects was observed (p < 0.05). The CBF increases delayed from inspirations and mean delay time was approximately 12 seconds. We observed weak positive correlation between brain activity and self-evaluation in a wide range. However, correlation coefficient was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Simplification of music composition task possibly mask clear correlation. In conclusion, the main finding that right PFC activation by inspirations indicated important mechanism of creativity.