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Sex differences in the relationship between white matter connectivity and creativity
Sephira G Ryman1, Martijn P van den Heuvel2, Ronald A Yeo3
1University of New Mexico Department of Neurosurgery, USA; University of New Mexico Department of Psychology, USA.
Neuroimage
|July 28, 2014
Summary
Female brains show inverse global connectivity with creativity, involving more regions for novel ideas. Male brains exhibit few positive relationships, suggesting different network organization for creative cognition.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Creative cognition relies on complex brain networks.
- Understanding the brain's structural organization is key to understanding creativity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between brain structural organization and creative cognition.
- To explore sex differences in the brain's network organization related to creativity.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) to map brain fiber tracts.
- Network analysis of 83 segmented cortical regions.
- Computation of connectivity strength, clustering, and communication efficiency.
Main Results:
- Significant sex differences found in global connectivity and creativity.
- Females showed inverse relationships between global connectivity and creative cognition.
- Males exhibited few, weak positive relationships; females involved more brain regions.
Conclusions:
- Sexually dimorphic relationships suggest unique topological organization for novel idea generation.
- Females may use more brain regions, potentially at the expense of efficiency.
- Findings extend observations of sex differences in connectome structure.
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