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New Study Shows that the Creative Brain is Wired Differently

Feb 11, 2018

Creative Brain is Wired Differently Picture Albert Einstein once said “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” It is well known that creative people see the World differently, but now researchers have discovered one possible reason for why.

In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists studying brain scans of people who were asked to come up with inventive ways to use every day objects were able to see a specific pattern of connectivity that correlated with the most creative responses. Researchers were then able to use this pattern to predict how creative other people’s responses would be. This study was able to show that three subnetworks, the default network, the salience network, and the executive control network, were key players in the process of creative thought. The default mode network is involved in memory and mental stimulation which may play an important role in spontaneous thinking and mind-wandering. The salience network plays a key role in detecting important information, both internally and in the environment. This network might play a vital role in sifting through the ideas created by the default mode network. Lastly the executive control network helps people keep their focus on useful ideas and disregard those that are not working. The teamwork of these three networks is paramount to creativity. In order to identify these subnetworks involvement in creativity, scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology to scan the brain actively of volunteers while they tried to conceive creative ideas for everyday objects such as a brick, knife, or rope. The team also trained a group of people to be “Raters” and had them review and evaluate the creativeness of the ideas. Based on the results of these tests, scientists were able to create a predictive model for creativity. They tested this model against brain scan data collected in earlier creative studies. By understanding how creative thought works, scientists hope not only to dispel the common placed myths, but also to understand that creativity is complex and needs more study in order to really understand it.