Xia Yunman, Zhuang Kaixiang, Sun Jiangzhou, Chen Qunlin, Wei Dongtao, Yang Wenjing, Qiu Jiang
Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing, 400715, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
Neurosci Lett. 2017 Sep 29;658:182-188. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.08.008. Epub 2017 Aug 2.
Middle childhood is an important period for individual trait shaping, during which children are likely to generate and own their distinct neuromechanism of creative-related traits. This study used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to identify the brain structures that underlie trait creativity (as measured by the Williams Creativity Aptitude Test) in a sample of typical developing children (aged 9-12, n=64). The results indicated that several emotion-related regions may relate to trait creativity in middle children. Specifically, the regional gray matter volume (rGMV) in the amygdala and hippocampus was negatively related to creative traits of challenge and risk-taking, which indicates that children with increased trait creativity may be more impulsive when they engage in creative activities. An increased rGMV in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) was related to an increased trait of imagination, which may be associated with stronger sensation-seeking in children. These findings are the first to demonstrate the brain structures that underlie trait creativity in middle children, and indicated that, driven by a relatively stronger effect of sensation-seeking (via recruitment of the OFC), children with increased trait creativity may exhibit more risk-taking and challenging behaviors (via recruitment of the amygdala and hippocampus) when they practice their creativity.
童年中期是个体特质塑造的重要时期，在此期间，儿童可能会产生并拥有与创造力相关特质的独特神经机制。本研究采用基于体素的形态学测量（VBM）方法，在一组典型发育儿童（9至12岁，n = 64）样本中，识别特质创造力（通过威廉姆斯创造力能力测试衡量）背后的脑结构。结果表明，几个与情绪相关的区域可能与童年中期儿童的特质创造力有关。具体而言，杏仁核和海马体中的区域灰质体积（rGMV）与挑战和冒险的创造性特质呈负相关，这表明特质创造力增强的儿童在进行创造性活动时可能更冲动。眶额皮质（OFC）中rGMV的增加与想象力特质的增加有关，这可能与儿童更强的寻求刺激有关。这些发现首次证明了童年中期儿童特质创造力背后的脑结构，并表明，在寻求刺激的相对较强影响（通过OFC的参与）驱动下，特质创造力增强的儿童在发挥创造力时可能表现出更多冒险和挑战行为（通过杏仁核和海马体的参与）。
