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

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Fla.), 2020-04, Vol.210, p.116577-116577, Article 116577
• Main Authors: Takeuchi, Hikaru, Taki, Yasuyuki, Matsudaira, Izumi, Ikeda, Shigeyuki, dos S. Kawata, Kelssy H., Nouchi, Rui, Sakaki, Kohei, Nakagawa, Seishu, Nozawa, Takayuki, Yokota, Susumu, Araki, Tsuyoshi, Hanawa, Sugiko, Ishibashi, Ryo, Yamazaki, Shohei, Kawashima, Ryuta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anisotropy; Cerebellum; Cognition & reasoning; Concept Formation - physiology; Convergent thinking; Creativity; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Female; Humans; Language; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Morphometry; Nerve Net - anatomy & histology; Nerve Net - diagnostic imaging; Neural networks; Neural Pathways - anatomy & histology; Neural Pathways - diagnostic imaging; Neuroimaging; Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology; Remote associates; Structural connectivity; Studies; Substantia alba; Thinking - physiology; Voxel-based morphometry; White Matter - anatomy & histology; White Matter - diagnostic imaging; Young Adult; Young adults
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116577

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. •White matter structures associated with convergent thinking (CRAT) performance.•Positive correlation of FA was seen in the left lateralized language related tract.•Negative correlation of rWMV was seen in the widespread white matter areas.•Results suggest that unique association of convergent thinking with white matter.