Common And Distinct Brain Networks Underlying Verbal And Visual Creativity

Creativity is imperative to the progression of human civilization, prosperity, and well-being. The result on the neural basis of creativity is inconsistent, due to the complication of the creative cognition. The controversy focuses on that the creativity depends on either spontaneous processing or executive control. Recent studies have shown that creative idea generation is supported by spontaneous processing that may occur in the default mode network(DMN), whereas creative evaluation is supported by executive control processing that may occur in the frontoparietal network(FPN). However, little is known about how these networks interact to contribute to creativity and whether common or distinct brain networks are responsible for visual and verbal creativity. In addition, because of the multiple aspects of creative cognition, studies investigating the neural mechanisms or cognitive process associated with creativity must focus on specific domains(e.g., verbal and visual creativity). Another debate focuses on that creativity is either domain-generality or domain-specificity. Most people consider creativity has both domain-generality and domain-specificity. Brain is the material basis of cognitive activity. We explore the problem in the neural level. In the present research, we have two hypothesis: 1) The default and control network play a critical role in creativity, may have domain-generality and at the same time domain-specificity. 2)the FPN may mediate the relationship between the default network and creative cognitive ability.Resting-state functional connectivity(RSFC), the temporal correlation of intrinsic activation between different brain regions, has become one of the most fascinating field in the functional imaging studies. To better understand the association between RSFC and individual creativity, we used RSFC and the figure Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking(TTCT-F) to investigate the relationship between creativity measured by TTCT and RSFC within two different brain networks, default mode network and the cognitive control network.In study 1, we use functional connectivity analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to investigate verbal creativity-related regions and networks in 282 healthy subjects. In study 2, we investigate verbal creativity-related regions and networks using functional connectivity analysis in the same samples. In the study 3, we explore the relationship between the default network and the control network in the creativity. These findings show functional connectivity within bilateral inferior parietal cortex(IPL) of the FPN was negatively associated with visual creativity and verbal creativity. The strength of connectivity between the DMN and FPN was positively related to both creative domains. Moreover, we identified specific hubs and network interactions for visual and verbal creativity. Visual creativity was negatively correlated with functional connectivity within the precuneus of the pDMN and right middle frontal gyrus(MFG) of the FPN, and verbal creativity was negatively correlated with functional connectivity within the medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC) of the aDMN. Critically, the FPN mediated the relationship between the aDMN and verbal creativity, and it also mediated the relationship between the pDMN and visual creativity.These findings indicate verbal and visual creativity have common and distinct regions and network, have both domain-generality and domain-specificity in the neural basis and provide direct evidence for the cooperative role of the default and executive control networks in creativity, extending past research by revealing common and distinct brain systems underlying verbal and visual creative cognition.