Genes, brain dynamics and art: the genetic underpinnings of creativity in dancing, musicality and visual arts

Abstract

Creativity, art and artistic creation in music, dance and visual arts are brain activities specific to humans. Their genetic background remained unexplored for years, but many recent studies have uncovered significant associations with cognition-related genes and loci. These studies are summarized in the present article. Creativity is a trait with heavy genetic influences, which are also associated with mental disorders and altruism. Associated genes include dopaminergic, serotoninergic and other genes (a1-antitrypsin, neuregulin, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor). Music is another complex phenotype with important genetic background. Studies in musicians and their families have highlighted the contribution of loci (e.g., 4q22) and specific genes (vasopressin receptor 1α and serotonin transporter). The latter two are also associated with dancing. Although few studies have investigated visual arts, they appear to be influenced by genetic differences, which could explain the increased prevalence of synesthesia in artists and individuals with autism. Lastly, although genes play an important role in creativity and art, epigenetics and the environment should not be overlooked. The genetic exploration of artistic creativity may provide useful knowledge on cognition, behavior and brain function. It may also enable targeted and personalized art therapy in health and disease.

Nocturnal selective pressures on the evolution of human musicality as a missing piece of the adaptationist puzzle

“…Moreover, the necessity to solve new practical problems during the night and the increased rate of REM sleep (i.e., indicative of dreaming) also converged possibly leading to higher creativity ( Coolidge and Wynn, 2006 ; Samson and Nunn, 2015 ). Creativity is positively related to musicality and visual arts ( Ismail et al, 2020 ; Sotiropoulos and Anagnostouli, 2021 ). Evidence for a nocturnal overexcited imagination which corroborates the Nocturnal Evolution of Human Musicality and Performativity Theory ranges from contemporary industrial societies, traditional societies, and prehistory.…”

Wonder symphony: epigenetics and the enchantment of the arts

“…Serotonin, a monoamine neurotransmitter, exerts a well-known and extensive influence over mood regulation, cognitive processes, reward pathways, learning, memory consolidation, and an array of vital physiological functions. Serotonin has been often referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, is a key player in the intricate web of neurochemical interactions that influence our emotions, and can be modulated by positive experiences, such as music and art [ 90 , 91 ]. The potential implications of serotonin’s stable binding to DNA, resulting in significant impacts on gene expression, could potentially pave the way for a deeper comprehension of the profound influence that music and art have on our emotional state, leading us closer to unraveling the enigmatic connection between creative stimuli and feelings of happiness.…”

ASD and ADHD as syndromes of high creativity - Le TSA et le TDAH comme syndromes de haute créativité

“…En outre, Liu et al (2018) ont noté qu'ils pouvaient prédire les scores de créativité des individus avec une précision de 78,4 % en analysant les données cérébrales et génomiques. Aussi, Sotiropoulos & Anagnostouli (2021) ont fait une revue de littérature des études examinant le fond génétique de la créativité, ont mis en évidence la relation génétique entre les arts visuels et les gènes, et entre l'autisme, les artistes et la synesthésie. En effet, la synesthésie est plus souvent présente chez les autistes que dans la population générale, suggérant qu'il pourrait y avoir un chevauchement phénotypique entre les deux (Baron-Cohen et al, 2013 ;Bouvet et al, 2019 ;Riedel et al, 2020 ;van Leeuwen et al, 2020 ;Ward et al, 2017) mais aussi certains liens avec la rédintégration (Bouvet et al, 2014), suggérant un partage entre la structure et le cours du développement (Mottron et al, 2013).…”