Brain Structural Signatures and Functional Networks in Creativity

Creativity constitutes an essential component of higher-order cognitive abilities in humans. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigations have increasingly delineated the neural correlates underlying creative processes. Nevertheless, the structural architecture of the brain provides the foundational substrate for these functions, and variations in morphology can substantially influence cognitive capabilities. To date, systematic reviews and quantitative syntheses specifically targeting the structural correlates of creativity remain sparse. Consequently, this study utilized activation likelihood estimation (ALE) to perform a meta-analysis aimed at identifying consistent gray matter regions implicated in creative cognition. This was complemented by subsequent task-based meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses. The ALE meta-analysis, encompassing 25 structural studies, revealed a convergent anatomical framework involving the superior frontal gyrus (SFG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), paracentral lobule (PCL), and cingulate gyrus (CG). Additionally, MACM analyses uncovered co-activation networks linking these regions with both the default mode network (DMN) and executive control network (ECN). Further RSFC evaluations corroborated these findings, confirming the previously identified couplings within DMN and ECN, while additionally highlighting significant engagement of the salience network (SN) and sensorimotor network (SMN) related to creativity. These insights support the triple-network hypothesis of creativity, emphasizing particularly the novel role of the SMN, and provide crucial neuroimaging evidence that enriches our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms facilitating creativity.