Ultra‐high‐field fMRI insights on insight: Neural correlates of the Aha!‐moment

Tik, Martin; Sladky, Ronald; Luft, Caroline Di Bernardi; Willinger, David; Hoffmann, André; Banissy, Michael J.; Bhattacharya, Joydeep; Windischberger, Christian

doi:10.1002/hbm.24073

Cited by 134 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 68 publications

(110 reference statements)

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“…Other regions, such as the frontostriatal brain circuitries and subcortical dopaminergic network, were also engaged in creativity (Boot, Baas, van Gaal, Cools, & De Dreu, 2017;Tik et al, 2018). Even cerebellum activation, cerebral-cerebellar connectivity, and SMN-DMN connectivity associated with creative thinking have been identified and discussed in previous studies (Saggar et al, 2015;Sun et al, 2019).…”

Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 89%

“…For example, both in task and resting‐state fMRI studies, the coupling of the DMN and control networks (e.g., FPN), as well as an intermediate switching role of SN, are considered a crucial mechanism of creativity (Beaty, Benedek, Kaufman, & Silvia, ; Beaty et al, , ; Chen et al, ). Other regions, such as the frontostriatal brain circuitries and subcortical dopaminergic network, were also engaged in creativity (Boot, Baas, van Gaal, Cools, & De Dreu, ; Tik et al, ). Even cerebellum activation, cerebral‐cerebellar connectivity, and SMN‐DMN connectivity associated with creative thinking have been identified and discussed in previous studies (Saggar et al, ; Sun et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Brain flexibility associated with need for cognition contributes to creative achievement

Zhuang

Liu

et al. 2019

Psychophysiology

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Advances in graph‐theoretic models of networks have made it possible to investigate the topological properties of the human brain across time and space. Brain flexibility is defined as the frequency with which brain regions switch between different functional modules over time and has been shown to correlate with higher‐order cognitive functions. Need for cognition (NFC) refers to a personality trait to engage in and enjoy effortful cognitive endeavors and usually has a positive effect on diverse cognitive activities (e.g., creativity), which may also be closely related to brain flexibility. Here, we tested whether the flexibility of a large‐scale brain network associated with NFC facilitated creative achievement. Robust correlation analyses showed that NFC correlates with the flexibility of the insula, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the putamen at the node level. Several large‐scale brain networks whose flexibility also correlated with NFC, including the default mode network, salience network, subcortical network, ventral attention network, and control network, imply that higher NFC individuals may exhibit better cognitive abilities, such as executive control, salient detection, spontaneous thought, and motivation function. Interestingly, only global flexibility acted as a mediator in the relationship between NFC and creative achievement, suggesting that the mediating mechanism may involve an interaction between distinct regions or large‐scale networks across the entire brain instead of the functional characteristic of local regions. Together, we demonstrate that the higher NFC is, the more flexible the brain, which may provide a potential insight into the acquisition of creative achievement.

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Section: F I G U R Ementioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain flexibility associated with need for cognition contributes to creative achievement

Zhuang

Liu

et al. 2019

Psychophysiology

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“…in insight problems (see Shen, 2018 for a meta-analysis). Increased activations in the medial temporal lobe (amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus) (Jung-Beeman et al, 2004;Kizilirmak, Thuerich, Folta-Schoofs, Schott, & Richardson-Klavehn, 2016;Ludmer, Dudai, & Rubin, 2011;Zhao et al, 2013) and right anterior superior temporal gyrus (Jung-Beeman et al, 2004;Tik et al, 2018) amongst other areas have been reported in solutions with compared to without AHA! experience.…”

Section: Neural Basis For the Aha! Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, most research investigating the AHA! experience reports brain data at the time of solution or a few seconds before (e.g., Jung-Beeman et al, 2004;Kizilirmak et al, 2016;Luo, Niki, & Phillips, 2004;Tik et al, 2018;Zhao et al, 2013), for the whole trial (Tik et al, 2018) or before the respective trial starts (Kounios et al, 2006;Subramaniam et al, 2009) but not shortly after trial presentation or during the time of search for the solution compound. Only Aziz-Zadeh, Kaplan, and Iacoboni (2009) investigated neural correlates of anagram solutions directly after trial start using fMRI.…”

Section: Neural Basis For the Aha! Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Verbal insight revisited: fMRI evidence for early processing in bilateral insulae for solutions with AHA! experience shortly after trial onset

Becker

Sommer

Kühn

2019

Human Brain Mapping

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In insight problem solving solutions with AHA! experience have been assumed to be the consequence of restructuring of a problem which usually takes place shortly before the solution. However, evidence from priming studies suggests that solutions with AHA! are not spontaneously generated during the solution process but already relate to prior subliminal processing. We test this hypothesis by conducting an fMRI study using a modified compound remote associates paradigm which incorporates semantic priming. We observe stronger brain activity in bilateral anterior insulae already shortly after trial onset in problems that were later solved with than without AHA!. This early activity was independent of semantic priming but may be related to other lexical properties of attended words helping to reduce the amount of solutions to look for. In contrast, there was more brain activity in bilateral anterior insulae during solutions that were solved without than with AHA!. This timing (after trial start/during solution) x solution experience (with/without AHA!) interaction was significant. The results suggest that (a) solutions accompanied with AHA! relate to early solution‐relevant processing and (b) both solution experiences differ in timing when solution‐relevant processing takes place. In this context, we discuss the potential role of the anterior insula as part of the salience network involved in problem solving by allocating attentional resources.

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“…At the functional level, a recent study on creative problem solving in humans highlights that 452 dlPFC is involved in experiencing a moment of insight 77 . According to this effective connectivity study, 453 dlPFC could upregulate the VTA/SN via striatal connections during such a moment.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual differences in successful self-regulation of the dopaminergic midbrain

Hellrung

Kirschner

Sulzer

et al. 2019

Preprint

Self Cite

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The dopaminergic midbrain is associated with brain functions, such as reinforcement learning, motivation and decision-making that are often disturbed in neuropsychiatric disease. Previous research has shown that activity in the dopaminergic midbrain can be endogenously modulated via neurofeedback, suggesting potential for non-pharmacological interventions. However, the robustness of endogenous modulation, a requirement for clinical translation, is unclear. Here, we examined how self-modulation capability relates to regulation transfer. Moreover, to elucidate potential mechanisms underlying successful self-regulation, we studied individual prediction error coding, and, during an independent monetary incentive delay (MID) task, individual reward sensitivity. Fifty-nine participants underwent neurofeedback training either in a veridical or inverted feedback group. Successful selfregulation was associated with post-training activity within the cognitive control network and accompanied by decreasing prefrontal prediction error signals and increased prefrontal reward sensitivity in the MID task. The correlative link of dopaminergic self-regulation with individual differences in prefrontal prediction error and reward sensitivity suggests that reinforcement learning contributes to successful self-regulation. Our findings therefore provide new insights in the control of dopaminergic midbrain activity and pave the way to improve neurofeedback training in neuropsychiatric patients. Introduction 1The dopaminergic midbrain, including the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN), plays 2 a crucial role in reward processing, reinforcement learning 1-4 , motivation 5,6 , and decision-making 7 .3 Dysfunctions of the reward system have far-reaching consequences and are associated with the 4 development of several severe psychiatric disease such as addiction 8 and schizophrenia 9,10 . Despite 5 decades of extensive neuroscience and imaging studies which have contributed to an impressive body 6 of knowledge of normal and abnormal reward system function, the neural mechanisms controlling 7 midbrain activity are still not fully understood 11 . One key issue that has received increasing attention 8 is whether humans are able to cognitively control brain activity within the reward system. It has already 9 been shown that both healthy controls 12,13 , and patients with cocaine addiction 14 can learn to regulate 10 SN/VTA activity during real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) neurofeedback 11 training. However, the outcome of primary interest in neurofeedback training is a transfer beyond 12 training itself, i.e., the ability to regulate activity also after training and without feedback. Such transfer 13 is critical for clinical applications, including those involving disorders of the reward system 15 . While 14MacInnes and colleagues 13 observed significant neural transfer effects in the form of increased neural 15 activity and connectivity of the VTA during transfer on the group level, the other two stud...

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Ultra‐high‐field fMRI insights on insight: Neural correlates of the Aha!‐moment

Cited by 134 publications

References 68 publications

Brain flexibility associated with need for cognition contributes to creative achievement

Brain flexibility associated with need for cognition contributes to creative achievement

Verbal insight revisited: fMRI evidence for early processing in bilateral insulae for solutions with AHA! experience shortly after trial onset

Individual differences in successful self-regulation of the dopaminergic midbrain

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