The findings are based on a study of nearly 900 men and women who underwent functional MRI of the brain. During the scans, the participants engaged in a variety of creative tasks, including drawing, music, writing, and others. The resulting data helped map the neural circuits involved in creative thinking. The study's findings were published on the Brigham and Women's Hospital website.
"Complex forms of human behavior, such as creativity, are not associated with specific brain regions, but are associated with brain circuits. Now we know which ones," the scientists commented.
Interestingly, some of the volunteers had neurodegenerative diseases or traumatic brain injuries. As part of the experiment, the scientists also sought to determine how injuries and illnesses affect creativity. The result was quite unexpected: if the disease or TBI affected the target brain circuit, these volunteers demonstrated higher creativity.
There are known cases of active creativity in some people precisely after the development of neurological diseases. Now, the first explanations are emerging as to why this occurs.
The findings provide insights into human creativity and open up new possibilities for brain research.
In another study, scientists previously discovered that gut bacteria influence brain function. They found that they can cause profound molecular changes in the brain and disrupt protein function.
