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. 2011 Oct;49(12):3505-11.
doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.09.004. Epub 2011 Sep 10.

EEG alpha synchronization is related to top-down processing in convergent and divergent thinking

Mathias Benedek  1 , Sabine Bergner, Tanja Könen, Andreas Fink, Aljoscha C Neubauer
Affiliations

EEG alpha synchronization is related to top-down processing in convergent and divergent thinking

Mathias Benedek et al. Neuropsychologia. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Synchronization of EEG alpha activity has been referred to as being indicative of cortical idling, but according to more recent evidence it has also been associated with active internal processing and creative thinking. The main objective of this study was to investigate to what extent EEG alpha synchronization is related to internal processing demands and to specific cognitive process involved in creative thinking. To this end, EEG was measured during a convergent and a divergent thinking task (i.e., creativity-related task) which once were processed involving low and once involving high internal processing demands. High internal processing demands were established by masking the stimulus (after encoding) and thus preventing further bottom-up processing. Frontal alpha synchronization was observed during convergent and divergent thinking only under exclusive top-down control (high internal processing demands), but not when bottom-up processing was allowed (low internal processing demands). We conclude that frontal alpha synchronization is related to top-down control rather than to specific creativity-related cognitive processes. Frontal alpha synchronization, which has been observed in a variety of different creativity tasks, thus may not reflect a brain state that is specific for creative cognition but can probably be attributed to high internal processing demands which are typically involved in creative thinking.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Above: Task description of the convergent and divergent thinking task. Below: Trial sequence for the two experimental conditions, where the stimulus once becomes masked after 500 ms (high internal processing demands) and once remains visible throughout the task (low internal processing demands).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Task-related power (TRP) changes in the upper alpha band during convergent and divergent thinking under low vs. high internal processing (IP) demands. Positive TRP indicates task-related alpha synchronization, negative values indicate desynchronization (AF = anteriofrontal, F = frontal, FC = frontocentral, CT = centrotemporal, CP = centroparietal, PT = parietotemporal, PO = parietooccipital, LH = left hemisphere, RH = right hemisphere).
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