MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China.
Int J Psychophysiol. 2022 Jan;171:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.11.001. Epub 2021 Nov 19.
The creativity impairment under acute stress may be closely related to the down-regulation of the prefrontal cortex function caused by stress-related neurotransmitters and hormones. In the current study, we explored whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) eliminated stress-induced creativity impairment and the potential mechanism from the perspective of stress response recovery. Seventy participants were randomly allocated to a group undergoing the activation of right DLPFC and the deactivation of left DLPFC (R+L-; N = 35), and a group of sham stimulation (sham; N = 35). Participants received tDCS after the stress induction, and then completed the Alternative Uses Task (AUT) and the Remote Association Task (RAT) during the stimulation. The stress response was indicated using heart rate, cortisol, and emotion changes. Results showed that R+L- stimulation facilitated the recovery of anxious state compared to sham stimulation. We also found that the decreased value of AUT scores after stress in the R+L- group was significantly lower than that in the sham group. Moreover, further analysis revealed state anxiety mediated the effect of tDCS on the flexibility component of the AUT. We concluded that bilateral tDCS over the DLPFC is efficient in alleviating stress-induced creativity impairment, which may correlate with greater recovery of state anxiety. Our findings provide causal evidence for the neurophysiological mechanisms by which stress affects creativity, as well as clinical suggestions for stress-related psychiatric disorders prevention and intervention.
急性应激下的创造力损伤可能与应激相关神经递质和激素下调前额叶皮层功能密切相关。在本研究中，我们从应激反应恢复的角度探讨了经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）是否可以消除双侧背外侧前额叶皮层（DLPFC）的激活和左侧 DLPFC 的去激活（R+L-；N=35），以及假刺激组（ sham；N=35）对压力诱导的创造力损伤的影响及其潜在机制。70 名参与者被随机分配到右 DLPFC 激活和左 DLPFC 去激活组（R+L-；N=35）和假刺激组（ sham；N=35）。参与者在应激诱导后接受 tDCS，然后在刺激过程中完成替代用途任务（AUT）和远程联想任务（RAT）。使用心率、皮质醇和情绪变化来表示应激反应。结果表明，与假刺激相比，R+L-刺激更能促进焦虑状态的恢复。我们还发现，与假刺激组相比，R+L-组应激后 AUT 评分的降低值显著降低。此外，进一步的分析表明，状态焦虑介导了 tDCS 对 AUT 灵活性成分的影响。我们得出结论，双侧 DLPFC 的 tDCS 对缓解应激诱导的创造力损伤有效，这可能与状态焦虑的更大恢复有关。我们的研究结果为应激影响创造力的神经生理机制提供了因果证据，并为应激相关精神障碍的预防和干预提供了临床建议。
