- Common neural pathways and brain regions though have not been reported yet.
- The neural mapping of all creativity and emotion regulation forms is described.
- Regions and networks common to these functions are discussed.
- A shared brain mechanism is suggested and limitations are criticized.
The contribution of creativity in overall well-being through regulating emotions has sparkled research interest in employing artistic interventions recently for the improvement of mental health.
Although the behavioural links between emotion regulation and creativity have been established, the neural networks reflecting these relations are yet to be investigated.
In this mini review, we describe the neural underpinnings of all forms of creativity and of the emotion regulation strategies. Given the complexity of both of these constructs, we separate creativity in its various forms and report the regions and the neural networks involved. Similarly, we distinguish between the differential emotion regulation strategies and describe the relevant brain areas and networks. We then proceed to a critical exploration of common regions of interest and of neural pathways among these important functions. The studies included in this review point towards certain brain regions that are shared among creativity and affective control, such as the prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the medial temporal lobe and the inferior parietal lobule.
The common neural networks of emotion regulation and creativity mainly focus on the default mode, the executive control and the salience networks.
We then suggest a shared neural mechanism that may underlie emotion regulation and creativity, involving both control and affective processing.
| Brain region | Role in Creativity | Role in Emotion Regulation | Shared functions |
| Prefrontal Cortex (PFC) | Involved in overall creativity, artistic creativity, distancing, creative thinking | Engaged in expressive suppression, overall reinterpretation, creative reinterpretation | Cognitive control, flexibility, and inhibition |
| Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) | Important in generating new emotions in creative processes | Key area in distancing strategy (creating new emotions) | Monitoring, emotional change, and creative insight |
| Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) | Supports artistic creativity and creative reinterpretation | Modulates the distancing strategy | Working memory, cognitive control, perspective-taking |
| Medial Temporal Lobe (MTL) | Involved in memory and associations in creative reinterpretation | Important in distancing strategy | Semantic memory, self-projection, and perspective-shifting |
| Inferior Parietal Lobule (IPL) | Plays a role in creative thinking and artistic creativity | Engaged in expressive suppression | Selective attention, goal-directed processing |
Firstly, the PFC seems to be a basic region that is shared between several creativity facets (overall creativity, artistic creativity, distancing, creative thinking) and the ER strategies of expressive suppression, of overall reinterpretation and of creative reinterpretation which simultaneously involves creativity.
Secondly, the ACC is involved as a primary area in creativity and in the ER strategy of distancing (i.e. creating new emotions).
The ER distancing strategy is additionally modulated by the DLPFC which also plays a role in artistic creativity and creative reinterpretation.
Similarly, the MTL is associated with the ER strategy of distancing and with creative reinterpretation.
Finally, the Inferior Parietal Lobule is involved in both creativity and expressive suppression.
| Neural Network | Role in Creativity | Role in ER | Shared functions |
| Default Mode Network (DMN) | Contributes to creative thinking and creative reinterpretation | Involved in acceptance, maladaptive dispositional ER, and expressive suppression | Self-referential thinking, creativity, and spontaneous thought |
| Executive Control Network (ECN) | Engaged in creative thinking and the top-down control of creative spontaneous thought | Involved in creative reinterpretation and cognitive control during emotion processing | Top-down control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory |
| Salience Network (SN) | Supports artistic creativity and creative reinterpretation | Involved in switching between DMN and ECN during emotion processing | Attention, switching between internal and external stimuli |
| FrontoParietal Network (FPN) | Predicts creative ability | Associated with expressive suppression and adaptive ER | Cognitive control, goal-directed behavior, creative problem-solving |
| Emotion Regulation Network (ERN) | Integrates DMN and ECN components relevant to emotion regulation strategies | Supports strategies like expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal | Emotional regulation, cognitive control, and creativity |
The common neural networks include the DMN, contributing to creativity (creative reinterpretation, creative thinking) and to the ER strategy of acceptance.
The DMN is also involved in the maladaptive aspect of dispositional ER and the tendency for expressive suppression.
The executive control network (ECN) is implicated in the ER strategy of creative reinterpretation and in creative thinking but also in the top-down control of creative spontaneous thought.
The salience network (SN), involved in creative reinterpretation and artistic creativity, but also in the cognitive control of emotion processing probably facilitates switching between the DMN and the ECN.
The FrontoParietal Network (FPN) is associated with expressive suppression and dispositional emotion regulation (adaptive ER), while also predicting creative ability.
Finally, the emotion regulation network (ERN) encompasses components of the DMN and ECN relevant to various emotion regulation strategies, such as expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal and in turn, also contributes to creativity.
Both top-down and bottom-up processes are involved in creativity and in ER. Could this imply that they also share patterns of functional connectivity modulating the communication between top-down and bottom-up processing?
The involvement of the amygdala (bottom-up) and the PFC (top-down) in ER comes to no surprise, as emotions (amygdala) and their regulation (PFC) constitute ER. Moreover, the functional connectivity between the PFC and the amygdala seem to play a major role in ER.
Creativity also seems to be informed by this connectivity pattern between the amygdala and the PFC, although more work still needs to be done in this area. Specifically, amygdala-to-IFG connectivity has been suggested to play a key role in evaluating creativity and musical creativity seems to involve an interplay between control and limbic networks, that is between activity in the prefrontal cortex among others and regions related to emotion such as the amygdala.
Overall, it is no secret that creativity is benefited greatly by the involvement of ER, in that downregulating the intense emotions that accompany creative spur is necessary for the continuation of the creative process, otherwise it would get interrupted. There is also evidence to support that reappraising emotional events enhances creativity, as both these processes involve considering new aspects or approaches.
The other way around, specifically artistic creativity has been shown to contribute significantly to the regulation of affect.
We therefore believe that a significant candidate for a common mechanism between creativity and ER is one connecting control with affective processes, both of which are considered essential elements not only of ER as one would expect, but of creativity as well.
To our knowledge, there has not been an effort up to date to locate the functional and anatomical pathways that these processes share among creativity and ER.
We assume that the main reason behind this oversight lies in the complexity of these constructs.
That is, researchers categorise the multifaceted construct of creativity in different ways: As individual characteristics (cognitive abilities and personality traits), according to its qualities (originality, usefulness, aesthetics), based on the domains it is mostly located (artistic, scientific, technological and everyday creativity) or depending on the cognitive (e.g. divergent thinking) and affective processes (e.g. ER, overall emotional intelligence) that are involved.
The large-scale networks that underlie creativity, similar to intelligence, further stress this complexity. This evident theoretical and methodological variability, although fruitful in providing rich information on this process, limits the ability to draw generalised conclusions about its neural underpinnings.
Even more so, when an effort is being made to reveal common neural substrates between creativity and another multifaceted function, that of ER: Often, the categorisation of ER is based either on the various ER dimensions (temporal aspects, process-oriented categories, valence-specific regulation, individual differences, contextual factors, neurobiological approaches) or on the different ER strategies employed.
Similar to creativity, such lines of research have enriched the scientific body of knowledge significantly. However, they also function as barriers in gaining a more general overview of this process.
Therefore, we considered that a narrative review, employing the most parsimonious theoretical approaches to ER and creativity, was needed.
Overall, it seems that there are certain neural mechanisms that are shared between creativity and ER. This explains how these constructs are behaviorally related to each other.
Given the important benefits of creativity and ER on mental health, this holds promise for significantly advancing the field of behavioural interventions and therefore, individuals’ quality of life.
Surtil : 