创造性的大脑网络连接特征与研究展望

Network connectivity of the creative brain: Current knowledge and future directions

创造性是人类智慧的重要体现,其复杂的认知加工依赖于多个脑区的相互作用而非受单一脑区的调控.人脑连接组学的发展为深入揭示创造性的脑网络基础提供了可能,创造性的脑机制研究也正逐渐从局部脑区拓展到脑网络连接层面.功能网络研究表明,默认网络、突显网络、额顶控制网络的协作模式在创造性思维各阶段发生着动态变化;这些网络在静息状态下的功能协作也与创造性有密切联系,高创造性个体的大脑自发性神经活动具有灵活易变的特点.结构网络的证据进一步确认了默认网络与额顶控制网络分别负责不同类型的创造性认知能力,如远距离概念的检索生成与组合评估.基于创造性思维的双加工模型,已有研究认为,默认网络主要通过自发性联想在记忆系统中检索和提取新颖信息,控制网络负责根据任务要求对当前观点进行评估和选择,突显网络可能根据联想内容的新颖性负责默认网络和控制网络之间的灵活转换.未来研究需要不断整合创造性领域的数据资源,确定创造性的主要成分及对应的测评工具,结合多模态脑影像揭示创造性的功能网络动态协作模式及结构网络的独特作用,并利用多组学多模态的大数据优势实现对个体创造性水平的精准预测评估,探索创造性培养的有效途径和大脑可塑性机制.

Creativity is an important manifestation of human wisdom and is generally defined as the ability to generate something both novel and useful.Emerging evidence suggests that the complex cognitive processes of creative thinking involve the interaction of multiple brain regions and networks and may not depend on the specific function of a single brain region.The study of the human connectome provides a chance to reveal the brain network basis of creativity,and the focus in the neural mechanisms of creativity has gradually expanded from the local region to the brain network.A growing number of functional brain network studies have shown a consistent pattern of functional network connectivity underlying creativity that has been characterized by interactions between the default mode network,the salience network,and the fronto-parietal control network.Dynamic functional connectivity analysis further suggested that the coupling of the network hubs dynamically changes at different stages of creative thinking.The spontaneous neural activity of the creative brain has also been characterized by flexibility and variability,even during the resting state.On the other hand,evidence from brain lesion research has confirmed that the default mode network and the fronto-parietal control network are responsible for different aspects of creative cognitive abilities,such as the generation of remote associates and the combination of remote associates.According to the dual-process theory of creative thinking,researchers have suggested that the default mode network retrieves and extracts novel information from the semantic and episodic memory systems through spontaneous associations.The fronto-parietal control network assesses and selects current views according to specific task goals.Moreover,the salience network may be responsible for the flexible switching between the default mode network and the fronto-parietal control network based on the novelty of the associative content.Future research needs to continuously integrate data resources to identify the main components of creativity and to develop advanced assessment tools with more ecological validity,which is a critical and fundamental endeavor for scientific research on creativity.Equally important,it is necessary to combine multimodal brain imaging to provide new insight into the dynamic collaborative mode of functional networks and the specific role of structural networks in creative thinking that would contribute to deepening the understanding of the cognitive processes and neural mechanisms of creativity.In addition,due to the poor predictive power of single modality data,future studies could take advantage of multi-omics and multimodal data to achieve the goal of accurate prediction and assessment of individuals’creativity.Furthermore,it is important to explore how to improve individuals’creative abilities and develop effective promotion methods,such as cognitive training and neuromodulation.Although specific interventions have led to some improvements in individuals’creativity,the dynamic underlying neural mechanisms of brain plasticity during the intervention are not clear and should be addressed in the future.