Ep.136. The Creative Brain: Investigation of Brain Activity During Creative Problem Solving by Means of EEG and fMRI

"The Creative Brain: Investigation of Brain Activity During Creative Problem Solving by Means of EEG and fMRI" by Andreas Fink, Roland H. Grabner, Mathias Benedek, Gernot Reishofer, Verena Hauswirth, Maria Fally, Christa Neuper, Franz Ebner, and Aljoscha C. NeubauerSummaryThis research investigates brain activity during creative problem-solving using EEG and fMRI. The authors found that generating original ideas is associated with increased alpha activity (alpha synchronisation), particularly in frontal and posterior parietal brain regions. While frontal alpha synchronisation might reflect active cognitive processes rather than a deactivated brain state, the findings regarding posterior parietal regions suggest a more complex relationship between alpha activity and brain activation. Ultimately, the study indicates that creative thinking involves a network of brain areas and processes, including selective inhibition and semantic selection.