Common brain activation and connectivity patterns supporting the generation of creative uses and creative metaphors. (12th March 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Qunlin; He, Ruizhi; Sun, Jiangzhou; Ding, Ke; Wang, Xi; He, Li; Zhuang, Kaixiang; Lloyd-Cox, James; Qiu, Jiang
• Is Part Of: Neuropsychologia. Number 181(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-03-12
• Subjects: Creativity -- Alternative use task -- Metaphor -- Domain-general brain activation patterns; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Neuropsychologie -- Périodiques; Neuropsychology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108487
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-3932

Abstract

Abstract: Recent studies and reviews suggest that creative thinking is at least partly a domain-general cognitive ability, dependent on consistent patterns of brain activity including co-activation of the executive control and default mode networks. However, the degree to which the generation of ideas in different creative tasks relies on common brain activity remains unknown. In this fMRI study, participants were asked to generate creative ideas in both a uses generation task and a metaphor production task. Whole-brain analysis showed that generation of creative uses (relative to conventional uses) activated the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), medial prefrontal cortex, left supplementary motor area, left angular gyrus (AG), left thalamus, and bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe. The generation of creative metaphors (relative to conventional metaphors) activated dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and left AG. Importantly, regions active in both creative use and creative metaphor generation included the dmPFC and left AG. Psycho-physiological interactions analysis showed that the left AG was positively connected to the right precentral gyrus, and the dmPFC to the left IFG in both creative tasks. Our findings provide evidence that the generation of creative ideas relies on a core creative network related to remote semantic association-making and conceptual integration, offering new insight into the domain-general mechanisms underlying creative thinking. Highlights: We studied shared brain resources for the generation of creative uses and metaphors. The generation of creative metaphors relies on activity in the left AG and dmPFC. Part regions in DMN and ECN are recruited for the generation of creative uses. The creative uses and metaphors shared activation in the left AG and dmPFC.