The relation between resting state connectivity and creativity in adolescents before and after training

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Divergent thinking is crucial for creativity, enabling novel problem solutions.
• Understanding the neural basis of divergent thinking, particularly functional brain connectivity, is key to advancing creative cognition research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between resting-state functional connectivity and divergent thinking performance in adolescents.
• To examine how practice, specifically through an Alternative Uses Task (AUT) training, affects functional connectivity and divergent thinking.

Main Methods:

• 32 adolescents (15-16 years old) participated in a two-week study.
• An experimental group (n=16) underwent 8 sessions of AUT training; a control group (n=16) completed rule switching training.
• Resting-state functional connectivity was measured pre- and post-training, alongside divergent thinking assessments.

Main Results:

• Pre-training, stronger connectivity between the middle temporal gyrus and bilateral postcentral gyrus correlated with better divergent thinking.
• Alternative Uses Task training did not significantly alter functional brain connectivity.
• Post hoc analysis revealed that changes in divergent thinking performance were predicted by connectivity between the left supramarginal gyrus and right occipital cortex.

Conclusions:

• Resting-state functional connectivity within a task-positive network is associated with divergent thinking abilities in adolescents.
• While direct training effects on connectivity were not observed, specific connectivity changes predicted improvements in divergent thinking, highlighting its dynamic nature.
• This study contributes to understanding the neural underpinnings of creative cognition and functional brain connectivity.