Convergent creative thinking performance is associated with white matter structures: Evidence from a large sample study

Hikaru Takeuchi; Yasuyuki Taki; Izumi Matsudaira; Shigeyuki Ikeda; Kelssy H. dos S. Kawata; Rui Nouchi; Kohei Sakaki; Seishu Nakagawa; Takayuki Nozawa; Susumu Yokota; Tsuyoshi Araki; Sugiko Hanawa; Ryo Ishibashi; Shohei Yamazaki; Ryuta Kawashima

NeuroImage (Apr 2020)

Convergent creative thinking performance is associated with white matter structures: Evidence from a large sample study

Hikaru Takeuchi,
Yasuyuki Taki,
Izumi Matsudaira,
Shigeyuki Ikeda,
Kelssy H. dos S. Kawata,
Rui Nouchi,
Kohei Sakaki,
Seishu Nakagawa,
Takayuki Nozawa,
Susumu Yokota,
Tsuyoshi Araki,
Sugiko Hanawa,
Ryo Ishibashi,
Shohei Yamazaki,
Ryuta Kawashima

Affiliations

Hikaru Takeuchi: Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Corresponding author. Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, IDAC, Tohoku University 4-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan.
Yasuyuki Taki: Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Division of Medical Neuroimaging Analysis, Department of Community Medical Supports, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Izumi Matsudaira: Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Shigeyuki Ikeda: Department of Ubiquitous Sensing, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Kelssy H. dos S. Kawata: Center for Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Rui Nouchi: Creative Interdisciplinary Research Division, Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Human and Social Response Research Division, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Kohei Sakaki: Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Seishu Nakagawa: Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan
Takayuki Nozawa: Research Center for the Earth Inclusive Sensing Empathizing with Silent Voices, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
Susumu Yokota: Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
Tsuyoshi Araki: Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Sugiko Hanawa: Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Ryo Ishibashi: Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Smart-Aging Research Center, Tohoku University, Japan
Shohei Yamazaki: Department of Human Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
Ryuta Kawashima: Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Department of Ubiquitous Sensing, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan; Advanced Brain Science, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 210
p. 116577

Abstract

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In laboratory settings, creativity is measured using tasks of divergent as well as convergent thinking. It has been suggested that brain connectivity is important for creativity. In the present study, we investigated the associations of convergent thinking performance of compound Remote Associates Test (CRAT) with fractional anisotropy (FA) in diffusion tensor imaging and regional white matter (WM) volume (rWMV) in voxel-based morphometry in a large sample of healthy young adults (360 males and 280 females; mean age: 20.9 years, SD = 1.6). We showed that CRAT performance was positively correlated with WM pathway property (i.e., FA) in the left fronto-occipital fasciculus and the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus, which play important roles in processing of language and concept. Further, CRAT performance was negatively correlated with rWMV in the widespread frontal temporal subcortical and cerebellar WM areas, suggesting the unique association of convergent thinking with WM connectivity.

Published in NeuroImage

ISSN: 1053-8119 (Print); 1095-9572 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuroimage

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