Lustenberger Caroline, Boyle Michael R, Foulser A Alban, Mellin Juliann M, Fröhlich Flavio
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Cortex. 2015 Jun;67:74-82. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2015.03.012. Epub 2015 Apr 1.
Creativity, the ability to produce innovative ideas, is a key higher-order cognitive function that is poorly understood. At the level of macroscopic cortical network dynamics, recent electroencephalography (EEG) data suggests that cortical oscillations in the alpha frequency band (8-12 Hz) are correlated with creative thinking. However, whether alpha oscillations play a functional role in creativity has remained unknown. Here we show that creativity is increased by enhancing alpha power using 10 Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation (10 Hz-tACS) of the frontal cortex. In a study of 20 healthy participants with a randomized, balanced cross-over design, we found a significant improvement of 7.4% in the Creativity Index measured by the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT), a comprehensive and most frequently used assay of creative potential and strengths. In a second similar study with 20 subjects, 40 Hz-tACS was used instead of 10 Hz-tACS to rule out a general "electrical stimulation" effect. No significant change in the Creativity Index was found for such frontal 40 Hz stimulation. Our results suggest that alpha activity in frontal brain areas is selectively involved in creativity; this enhancement represents the first demonstration of specific neuronal dynamics that drive creativity and can be modulated by non-invasive brain stimulation. Our findings agree with the model that alpha recruitment increases with internal processing demands and is involved in inhibitory top-down control, which is an important requirement for creative ideation.
创造力，即产生创新想法的能力，是一种尚未被充分理解的关键高阶认知功能。在宏观皮层网络动力学层面，最近的脑电图（EEG）数据表明，阿尔法频段（8 - 12赫兹）的皮层振荡与创造性思维相关。然而，阿尔法振荡是否在创造力中发挥功能作用仍不明确。在此我们表明，通过对额叶皮层进行10赫兹经颅交流电刺激（10Hz - tACS）来增强阿尔法功率，可提高创造力。在一项针对20名健康参与者的随机、平衡交叉设计研究中，我们发现，通过托兰斯创造性思维测验（TTCT）测量的创造力指数显著提高了7.4%，TTCT是一种全面且最常用的创造性潜力和优势评估方法。在另一项针对20名受试者的类似研究中，使用40Hz - tACS而非10Hz - tACS来排除一般的“电刺激”效应。结果发现，这种额叶40赫兹刺激并未使创造力指数发生显著变化。我们的研究结果表明，额叶脑区的阿尔法活动选择性地参与了创造力；这种增强代表了驱动创造力的特定神经元动力学的首次证明，并且可以通过非侵入性脑刺激进行调节。我们的发现与以下模型相符：随着内部处理需求的增加，阿尔法活动被调用，并且它参与抑制性自上而下控制，这是创造性构思的一项重要要求。
