Functional neuroimaging of visual creativity: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Introduction: The generation of creative visual imagery contributes to technological and scientific innovation and production of visual art. The underlying cognitive and neural processes are, however, poorly understood.

Methods: This review synthesizes functional neuroimaging studies of visual creativity. Seven functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and 19 electroencephalography (EEG) studies were included, comprising 27 experiments and around 800 participants.

Results: Activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of the fMRI studies comparing visual creativity to non-rest control tasks yielded significant clusters in thalamus, left fusiform gyrus, and right middle and inferior frontal gyri. The EEG studies revealed a tendency for decreased alpha power during visual creativity compared to baseline, but comparisons of visual creativity to non-rest control tasks revealed inconsistent findings.

Conclusions: The findings are consistent with suggested contributions to visual creativity of prefrontally mediated inhibition, evaluation, and working memory, as well as visual imagery processes. Findings are discussed in relation to prominent theories of the neural basis of creativity.

Keywords: creative cognition; creative ideation; electroencephalography; functional magnetic resonance imaging; idea generation; ideation; visual creativity; visual design; visual imagery.

Figure 1

Flowchart of article selection, following PRISMA guidelines. Adapted from Moher et al. (2009). fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging; EEG, electroencephalography

Figure 2

Thresholded ALE map (cluster‐level threshold p < .05, cluster‐forming threshold p < .001, uncorrected at the voxel level), showing significant clusters for the contrast of visual creativity versus non‐rest control tasks. Results are illustrated using the “ch256” template supplied with MRIcroGL software (http://www.mccauslandcenter.sc.edu/mricrogl/). Cluster numbers correspond to those listed in Table 3: (1) mediodorsal thalamic nucleus; (2) right middle frontal gyrus; (3) right precentral gyrus; (4) left fusiform gyrus; (5) left angular gyrus; (6) right inferior frontal gyrus; (7) left cingulate gyrus. See Table 3 for MNI coordinates of maxima, cluster sizes, and corresponding ALE values

Figure 3

Summary of the frequency (number of contrasts showing relevant effect) with which studies reported predominant increases (↑), predominant decreases (↓), and no clear pattern of increases or decreases (−) in power in each frequency band. Findings of power changes during visual creativity versus baseline are displayed in blue; power changes versus control tasks in red; differences between high‐ and low‐creativity participants in green; and differences between production of original versus standard images in purple

Figure 4

Summary of the frequency (number of contrasts showing relevant effect) with which studies reported predominant increases (↑), predominant decreases (↓), and no clear pattern of increases or decreases (−) in coherence in each frequency band. Findings of coherence changes during visual creativity versus baseline are displayed in blue; coherence changes versus control tasks in red; differences between high‐ and low‐creativity participants in green; and differences between production of original versus standard images in purple