Modulation of creativity by transcranial direct current stimulation.

Hertenstein E; Waibel E; Frase L; Riemann D; Feige B; Nitsche MA; Kaller CP; Nissen C

doi:10.1016/j.brs.2019.06.004

Back

Journal article

Modulation of creativity by transcranial direct current stimulation.

Hertenstein E University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Psychiatric Services, Bern, Switzerland; Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: elisabeth.hertenstein@upd.ch.
Waibel E Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Frase L Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Riemann D Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Feige B Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Nitsche MA Department of Psychology and Neurosciences, Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Medical Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bochum, Germany.
Kaller CP Department of Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Germany.
Nissen C University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Psychiatric Services, Bern, Switzerland; Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.

2019-06-25

Published in:

Brain stimulation. - 2019

Transcranial direct current stimulation

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

English BACKGROUND
Creativity is the use of original ideas to accomplish something innovative. Previous research supports the notion that creativity is facilitated by an activation of the right and/or a deactivation of the left prefrontal cortex. In contrast, recent brain imaging studies suggest that creativity improves with left frontal activation.

OBJECTIVE
The present study was designed to further elucidate the neural basis of and ways to modulate creativity, based on the modulation of prefrontal cortical activity through the non-invasive brain stimulation technique transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS).

METHODS
Ninety healthy University students performed three tasks on major aspects of creativity: conceptual expansion (Alternate Uses Task, AUT), associative thinking (Compound Remote Associate Task, CRA), and set shifting ability (Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, WCST). Simultaneously, they received cathodal stimulation of the left and anodal stimulation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the reverse protocol, or sham stimulation.

RESULTS
The main pattern of results was a superior performance with bilateral left cathodal/right anodal stimulation, and an inferior performance in the reversed protocol compared to sham stimulation. As a potential underlying physiological mechanism, resting state EEG beta power, indicative of enhanced cortical activity, in the right frontal area increased with anodal stimulation and was associated with better performance.

CONCLUSION
The findings provide new insights into ways of modulating creativity, whereby a deactivation of the left and an activation of the right prefrontal cortex with tDCS is associated with increased creativity. Potential future applications might include tDCS for patients with mental disorders and for healthy individuals in creative professions.

Language