Symposium: Paradoxical Creativity & the Changing Brain
Thursday, May 22 10:15 - 12:00 PM, Amphitheater E
Do creativity and psychosis proneness share similar mechanisms in visual salience allocation?
Marina Iosifian, University of St Andrews
Olivier Penacchio, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Brendan Wolfe, University of St Andrews
The notion that mental illness and creativity are interconnected has deep historical roots and remains influential in contemporary culture. One way to investigate this is by examining whether individuals with high creativity and those with a proneness to psychosis share similar cognitive processing mechanisms. Researchers in creativity and psychosis have independently suggested that both creativity and psychosis proneness are linked to a tendency to allocate attention to irrelevant information or to a reduced ability to inhibit it. However, how salience attribution to irrelevant information differs between creativity and psychosis proneness remains unclear. This study explored visual salience allocation in individuals with varying levels of creativity and psychosis proneness by analysing their eye movements. Participants viewed four types of objects that were perceptually, semantically, symbolically related, or unrelated to a target object. The results showed that participants generally focused more on perceptually and semantically related objects and less on symbolically related or unrelated ones. Creative individuals, however, demonstrated reduced bias toward perceptually similar objects compared to unrelated ones. On the other hand, individuals with high psychosis proneness exhibited reduced bias toward semantically related objects versus symbolically related ones. Interestingly, they appeared more sensitive to symbolically related objects, which were distantly yet meaningfully connected to the target. These findings suggest parallels between creativity and subclinical forms of psychopathology and provide evidence supporting the "madness-creativity" link hypothesis.
Could we really 'Read' art to see the changing brain? First evidence for an artistic drawing and machine learning paradigm to identify individuals with Parkinson's disease
Matthew Pelowski, University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology
Blanca T.M. Spee, University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology; Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Department of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders
Paula Angermair, University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology
David Steyrl, University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology
The past three decades have seen an emerging trend of case reports suggesting a putative connection between neurodegenerative disorders and changes in how individuals produce visual art. This–still very anecdotal–case evidence presents an intriguing potential for research. Because of its role as a perhaps evolutionarily unique aspect of culture, its ability to combine perceptual, motor, and cognitive/emotional processes, and the belief that it may powerfully be able to reflect our inner mind, visual art is suggested to provide a basis for understanding disorders; for developing treatments. Even more, these cases may provide unique patterns, so-called ‘artistic signatures,’ for detection of disease, and may provide unique insight into the human penchant for art-making or creativity itself. However, currently, evidence is still very disparate and, importantly, lacking in systematic, controlled, non-subjective methodologies for assessment, leaving open the question of whether (and how) we might actually be able to find any evidence of systematic difference. In this talk, we present results from an initial study in regards to Parkinson's disease (PD). We compared 272 black-and-white artistic drawings, composed via a previously-validated paradigm, and produced by 34 PD patients or 57 healthy controls. The artworks were assessed via a new automated toolbox for 31 low-level image properties. Machine Learning analysis on the results suggested-surprising even our author team–an ability to detect differences above 90% with the complexity, density, and orientation of marks acting as significant predictors of PD and providing a basis for future discussion and directed research.
The default mode network supports goal-directed associative thinking: insights from healthy and brain-lesioned subjects
Altmayer V.1,2, Ovando-Tellez M.1, Bieth T.1,2, Moreno-Rodriguez S.1, Vigreux L.1, Rametti-Lacroux A.1, Batrancourt B.1, Levy R.1,2, Lopez-Persem A.1, Volle E.1
1. Paris Brain Institute, FrontLab, Inserm, CNRS
2. AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Neurology, IM2A, Paris, France
Remote associative thinking is essential to creativity. It connects distant semantic associates, enabling the generation of original ideas. Remote thinking involves both spontaneous associative thinking, which depends on memory structure, and goal-directed associative thinking, which enables the intentional search for original associations. The default mode network (DMN) is classically linked to spontaneous associations, and the executive control network (ECN) to goal-directed processes. Using a single word generation task dissociating spontaneous and goal-directed remote thinking, we explored brain regions and networks critical to these processes. In an fMRI study with 38 healthy subjects, functional activation of core DMN regions, the rostromedial and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (PFC) increased with the remoteness of goal-directed semantic associations. A second study with 14 behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) patients and 20 controls showed a critical role of the rostromedial and dorsomedial PFC in goal-directed remote thinking. Other DMN regions were critical for spontaneous remote thinking, in addition to non-DMN regions. A third study with 18 bvFTD patients and 27 controls confirmed the critical role of the rostromedial and dorsomedial PFC for goal-directed remote thinking and showed that greater functional segregation between DMN and ECN in the rostral PFC led to higher creative abilities. In all studies, rs-fMRI confirmed that the identified rostromedial and dorsomedial PFC regions belong to the DMN. Although the DMN is often associated with spontaneous cognition, our results highlight its crucial role in goal-directed remote associative thinking
Elucidating Correlates of Depression Improvement in Response to Creativity Camp
Celia Durkin, University of Minnesota
Kathryn Cullen, University of Minnesota
Art engagement benefits mental health, but less is known about how it works and who it works for. This study investigates the neural and behavioral predictors and correlates of depression improvement in response to an art intervention. We analyzed neuroimaging data and questionnaire responses from 39 adolescents with a history of depression who took part in a two-week creativity camp. Before and after camp, participants completed multiple depression questionnaires, cognitive fluency tasks, and creativity questionnaires; and were scanned with fMRI during rest and while completing a task eliciting imagination. To find predictors of treatment response, we trained classifiers on BOLD responses from the imagination task to predict responders vs. non-responders, and correlated behavior at baseline with treatment effects. We found that classifiers trained on temporal patterns of activation in the precuneus and PCC were able to predict responders from non-responders, and that responders exhibit sustained activation in these regions, thought to be involved in imagination. We also found that responders exhibit higher baseline cognitive flexibility, measured by letter fluency scores. Additionally, improvement in depression correlated with increased self-reported creativity, decreased anxiety, and increased activation in visual regions during imagination. Combined, our results suggest that participants with higher baseline capacity for generating alternatives–both evidenced by higher letter fluency scores and more sustained BOLD activation during imagination, are more likely to benefit from art therapy, which may expand initial creative capabilities to the visual domain.
The relationship between creativity and mental health is complex: new results from a large, genetically informative cohort
Fredrik Ullén
The notion that creativity and psychiatric symptoms are associated goes back at least to Plato’s discussions of divine madness and inspiration. More recently, several large-scale studies have confirmed associations between measures of creativity and risk of psychiatric disease. However, studies are highly heterogeneous in their assessment of creativity and mental health and, accordingly, basic questions concerning causality and if associations are limited to specific aspects of creativity and mental health remain unanswered. Here, we used a large sample of Swedish twins (N = 14,658) to perform a comprehensive longitudinal analysis of associations between creativity and mental health, their causal nature, and their genetic and environmental architecture. Creativity was assessed broadly, using measures of artistic and scientific real-life achievement, personality (openness), as well as psychometric creativity (divergent thinking). Mental health was measured using both self-report data and registry-based diagnoses. Although associations varied substantially across measures, findings overall confirmed an association between creativity and mental health problems, in particular for the artistic domain. Twin modelling and polygenic score analyses suggested that shared genetic influence played a major role for observed associations. However, for some measures, longitudinal regressions and co-twin control modelling also interestingly indicated causal relations between mental health problems and creativity. Overall, the findings highlight the complex and domain-specific nature of creativity-mental health associations and their underlying biology.
The Neurobiology of Creativity – Probing Current Theories with Ultrasonic Neuromodulation
Franz R. Schmid, Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna
Max Kathofer, Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna
Blanca T. M. Spee, Radboud University
Matthew Pelowski, Department of Psychology, University of Vienna
Julia S. Crone, Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna
Creative cognition is a fundamental aspect of the human condition, offering unique insights into various cognitive mechanisms in both healthy and pathological brains. Despite its importance, the neurobiological mechanisms driving creativity remain elusive and poorly understood, with existing evidence being largely correlational. To address this gap, we aim to uncover the causative mechanisms of creative cognition using low-intensity focused ultrasound stimulation, a non-invasive brain stimulation method that allows precise modulation of small areas even deep within the brain. In our first study, we target the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway which plays a pivotal role in creative cognition. More precisely, we modulate a key hub of said system: the nucleus accumbens. We assess creative cognition and cognitive flexibility—closely linked to creativity—using a behavioral test battery, comparing pre- vs. post- and active vs. sham stimulation. Preliminary findings indicate reduced cognitive flexibility following active stimulation of the right caudate nucleus. At the time of writing, data collection is still ongoing and we expect to present the complete data set at the SfNC 2025 Annual Meeting. This project will advance our understanding of the role of the dopaminergic pathways in creative cognition. The results will also contribute to an international initiative, Unlocking the Muse, which explores Parkinson’s Disease through the lens of creative cognition.
Investigating Creativity Changes in Parkinson’s Disease – An Epidemiological and Neuropsychological Perspective
Blanca T.M. Spee, (1) Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Department of Neurology, Center of Expertise for Parkinson & Movement Disorders. Nijmegen, The Netherlands. (2) University of Vienna, Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, Vienna, Austria. (3) University of Vienna, Faculty of Psychology, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Vienna, Austria
Recent studies suggest that Parkinson’s disease (PD) may influence, and often increase, creativity, a multifaceted capability to generate novel and useful ideas. This phenomenon manifests in changes across both everyday actions and hobbies, as well as in visual arts, despite expectations that PD-related symptoms might lead to a loss in creativity. However, prior results have been largely anecdotal or derived from small participant samples. In this first integrated analysis, we combine findings from two studies that examine the impact of PD on creativity from both epidemiological and neuropsychological perspectives. In the first study, part of the PRIME-Netherlands cohort, we used a self-structured questionnaire to explore self-reported creativity changes in 793 people with PD. This revealed that 41% of participants noted changes post-diagnosis, with significant shifts observed in domestic activities, sports, and fine arts-the latter showing the most pronounced increase. Disease duration and dopamine agonist use were linked to increased creativity, while older age and pre-diagnosis creative engagement were associated with decreased creativity. A second study involving 360 participants employed machine learning to assess the impact of personality traits, lifestyle changes, and clinical factors. Results indicated that dopamine agonists, extraversion, and increased free time increased creative engagement, whereas disorganized schizotypy decreased it. Together, these studies highlight the complex relationship between PD and creativity, suggesting potential avenues for person-centered therapeutic strategies that consider the neuropsychological changes in people with PD.
Preservation of Sound Perception and the Impact of Creative Musical Expression at End-Of-Life
Suzanne B. Hanser, Berklee College of Music
Sydelle Ross, New Jersey Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
This presentation by a music therapist and a hospice and palliative medicine physician concerns applications of creative musical expression at the end-of-life. Survivors of near-death experiences have reported a rich experience of sensory awareness, including perception of external auditory stimuli, during cardiac arrest. Does the brain maintain the ability to perceive sound during life’s final hours? Recent evidence supports the preservation of hearing well into the active phase of dying, even when there appears to be a loss of overt consciousness. This holds potential for appreciation of creative musical expression throughout the dying process. These neurologic findings validate behavioral observations that are consistent with clinical observations of responsiveness to music. The use of music and music therapy in hospice and palliative care is widespread, offering a plethora of qualitative data on preserved musical ability and appreciation. Systematic reviews of the research demonstrate the impact of some music therapy interventions, particularly in the management of pain. Other outcomes are difficult to determine, due to ethical issues surrounding intervention at this vulnerable time of life, as well as serious methodological constraints. However, anecdotal reports of responsiveness to music is strong. Based on the extant research, creative responses to music have been demonstrated throughout the final hours of life and can be filled with meaningful musical expression. Anecdotal evidence of such creative expression will be discussed by the presenters, including examples of individuals and loved ones sharing music-making experiences until the moment of death.
Do chronically and terminally ill individuals find art-based therapy useful? And how does relationship with art change following diagnosis?
Christina Makri (University of Vienna)
Matthew Pelowski (University of Vienna)
The soothing effects of arts-based therapy, as well as the general potentiality of the arts to aid individuals in many ways, have been widely hypothesized and, increasingly, championed in anecdotal reports and popular media. However, no studies have yet directly asked individuals undergoing difficult times whether they believe that participating in the arts or creative activities, as well as more formal arts-based therapy, have in fact helped them in any way during times of major upheaval. Additionally, research in the potential change in people’s relationship with art following dramatic events is also lacking. Thus, the purpose of this study was two-fold: (i) explore whether patients find artistic and creative activities/arts-based therapy helpful, and if so, in what ways, as well as (ii) investigate whether relationship with art changes following diagnosis. Additional secondary hypotheses regarding the patients’ death anxiety and mortality saliency levels, as well as their liking of (abstract) art was investigated. Chronically and terminally ill participants were recruited from the Alexandra Hospital in Athens, Greece. Findings from this study can help answer long-standing questions regarding the effects of art on human well-being, the potential benefits of arts-based therapy, while results from the current study will also be used towards the development of art-based interventions.
Creativity and Gestures in Older Adults and People with Posterior Cortical Atrophy and Semantic Variant Primary Progressive Aphasia
Gyulten Hyusein, Koç University & Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, University of Pennsylvania
Vasiliki Meletaki, Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, University of Pennsylvania
Eileen R. Cardillo, Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, University of Pennsylvania
Müjde Altın, University of Padova
Ece Öykü Tetik, Koç University
Anjan Chatterjee, Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, University of Pennsylvania
Gestures facilitate communication, and cognition, e.g., spatial problem-solving. Creative thinking also benefits from gestures, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In young adults, mental imagery facilitates gestures’ benefits for convergent but not divergent thinking (the latter might rely on semantics). This study examined whether gestures similarly support creativity in older adults (N=22). To test the roles of imagery and semantics, respectively, on convergent and divergent thinking, we compared older adults to patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA; N=2) and semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA; N=1), expecting PCA patients to have impaired mental imagery but intact semantics, and svPPA patients to show the opposite. Convergent thinking was assessed via the remote associates test (RAT) and its visual analog (vRAT); and divergent thinking via the alternative uses test (AUT). Tasks were completed under gesture-restricted and gesture-encouraged conditions. We predicted older adults, like young adults, would benefit from gestures in convergent thinking, but patients with impaired imagery would not. Relative to young adults, older adults gestured less and performed worse on verbal but not visual convergent thinking, suggesting preserved semantics but impaired verbal flexibility with aging. Unlike young adults, encouraging gestures did not aid convergent thinking in older adults or patients, suggesting a reduced role of gesture in cognition with aging. This study informs theories linking gestures to creativity and models of cognitive aging and neurodegeneration. Further analyses with AUT and additional patient data may refine conclusions.