Tracking the neurodynamics of insight: A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies

Abstract

The nature of insight has been the interdisciplinary focus of scientific inquiry for over 100 years. Behavioral studies and biographical data suggest that insight, as a form of creative cognition, consists of at least four separate but intercorrelated stages as described by Wallas (1926). Yet no quantitative evidence was available for insight- or insight-stage-specific brain mechanisms that generalize across various insight tasks. The present work attempted, for one, to present an integrated and comprehensive description of the neural networks underlying insight and, for another, to identify dynamic brain mechanisms related to the four hypothetical stages of insight. To this end, we performed two quantitative meta-analyses: one for all available studies that used neuroimaging techniques to investigate insight, and the other for the phasic brain activation of insight drawn from task characteristics, using the activation likelihood estimation (ALE) approach. One key finding was evidence of an integrated network of insight-activated regions, including the right medial frontal gyrus, the left inferior frontal gyrus, the left amygdala and the right hippocampus. Importantly, various brain areas were variably recruited during the four stages. Based on the ALE results, the general and stage-specific neural correlates of insight were determined and potential implications are discussed.

Verbal insight revisited: fMRI evidence for early processing in bilateral insulae for solutions with AHA! experience shortly after trial onset

“…There has been substantial research in the last decade investigating the neural basis for solutions accompanied with an AHA! in insight problems (see Shen, 2018 for a meta-analysis). Increased activations in the medial temporal lobe (amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus) (Jung-Beeman et al, 2004;Kizilirmak, Thuerich, Folta-Schoofs, Schott, & Richardson-Klavehn, 2016;Ludmer, Dudai, & Rubin, 2011;Zhao et al, 2013) and right anterior superior temporal gyrus (Jung-Beeman et al, 2004;Tik et al, 2018) amongst other areas have been reported in solutions with compared to without AHA!…”

The Effect of the Embodied Guidance in the Insight Problem Solving: An Eye Movement Study

“…And there were mainly four insight-activated brain regions, including the right medial frontal gyrus, the left inferior frontal gyrus, the left amygdala, and the right hippocampus. Importantly, various brain regions were variably activated during the four stages, and the gesture might lead to activation of one brain region and then help improved performance Shen et al (2018a) . However, the exact activated brain region was still not clear in the process of embodied action facilitating insight problem solving, and it should be studied further.…”

Modulations in resting state networks of subcortical structures linked to creativity

“…The putamen has generally been associated with behavioural inhibition (Sweitzer et al, 2018;Thames et al, 2012). In a recent metaanalysis Shen et al (2018) found the bilateral putamina to be associated with spontaneous insight solutions. The putamen was, furthermore, found to have a high density of D2 receptors (Willeit et al, 2016).…”

“…Boot et al (2017) suggest moderate dopamine release in the striatum to be beneficial for flexibility in cognition, perspective switching and the broadening of the attentional focus. Furthermore, the putamina are involved in spontaneous insights (Shen et al, 2018). The putamen is moreover associated with behavioural inhibition (Sweitzer et al, 2018;Thames et al, 2012).…”