艺术设计中创造性思维的fMRI研究：一项基于智能CAD的探索

An Explorative fMRI Study of Human Creative Thinking Using A Specially Designed iCAD System

本项工作尝试将人类思维的神经生物学基础研究与人工智能的研究成果相结合,利用类比生成模型的原理,开发了一个计算机辅助设计系统"多源类比人脸生成系统",并运用此平台开展了fMRI实验,对人类大脑创造性思维的神经生物学机制进行了探索。实验采用open-ends模式下的"design task"和problem solving模式下的"control task"作为对照,共采得15名健康成人被试的有效数据。数据结果显示design task与control task相比更为显著地激活了内侧前额叶、额中回、右侧颞上回、前扣带回、双侧海马、楔前叶这些脑区。综合以往研究推测,内侧前额叶可能更多地与即兴自由创作中对自我信息的表征有关,颞叶可能与不断产生和输出新颖性的观点有关,边缘系统则可能主要与创造性活动中的动力驱动作用有关。总的来说,创造性思维是多个脑区同时参与的高度分布式加工的结果。

Functional magnetic resonance imaging （fMRI） is widely used in cognitive neuroscience and psychological research. Studying the mechanism of creative thinking in humans is one of the hottest topics in fMRI studies, which is actually a subject received intensive attention across many different disciplines. In the field of intelligent computer-aided design （iCAD）, the framework of ＂multi-source analog generation design＂ based on analogical reasoning is a computable model that can mimic human creative thinking to certain extent, because of its characteristics of capable of generating things that did not previously exist. We developed an iCAD software system, called ＂Three-Source Analog System for Face Generation＂, for fMRI studies of human creative thinking to explore its neurological mechanism. We also developed a magnetic resonance compatible platform, which can synchronize scanning with the corresponding experimental tasks, and simultaneously collect and record the subject＇s reaction. While nobody has introduced this concept into fMRI studies, we propose for the first time to study human creative thinking in our work, using this analogue generation model. In this study, we designed two kinds of task： The ＂design task＂ under the open-ends mode and the ＂control task＂ under the problem solving mode. Design task allows a participant to design with freedom, however, the control task imposes some limits. We collected imaging data from a total of 15 healthy participants. Statistical analysis of comparing the imaging data under the two modes showed that the design task induced more significant activations in the medial prefrontal cortex, middle frontal gyms, right superior temporal gyms, temporal lobe gyms, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral these regions are highly related to creative thinking. hippocampus and precuneus, which may suggest that This activation pattern in human brains is consistent with the well-known model of ＂Three-factor Anatomical Model of Creativity＂. Based on the findings, we speculate that： （1） The medial prefrontal cortex may be associated with the reception of ego during the creative activity, （2） The temporal lobe may be the major responsible region for continuous production and output of new ideas, （3） The limbic system consisting of the anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus could be confirmed to be in charge of the power source for driving creative activity. In summary, this study has testified that creative thinking is the result of a collaboration of multiple brain regions, whose activities demonstrate a processing pattern of distributed network.