Neurophysiological Mechanism of Creativity Influenced by Stress

Abstract

Abstract: A great deal of creative ideas are generated under stress. An in-depth understanding covering the relationship between stress and creative problem-solving ability could help people better accomplish creative activities under stress. With the activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) axis and the hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, stress from unpredictable, uncontrollable, and threatening situations can trigger homeostatic disruption, and require an adaptive compensatory response. Previous research on the effects of stress on creative thinking presents a complex and inconsistent picture: (1) stressors sometimes decrease creative performance (2) stressors sometimes increase creative performance and (3) stressors are sometimes related to creative performance according to an inverted-U-shaped function. The present study intends to sort out the potential regulatory role that the catecholaminergic system (the dopaminergic system and the noradrenergic system) has played in how stress affects creative problem-solving from the neuroendocrine perspective which may further provides a new explanatory path concerning the relationship between stress and creativity. From the neuroendocrine perspective, dopaminergic modulation of fronto-striatal brain circuitries and the activity of locus coeruleus–norepinephrine may exert significant effect on the creative cognition under stress. Stress can lead to an increase in the dopaminergic system, but whether the increase in the dopaminergic system promotes or blocks the creative performance is affected by both the baseline dopaminergic level and the fronto-striatal dopaminergic increase. In particular, an increase in the fronto-striatal dopaminergic pathway of individuals at high baseline dopaminergic levels may impede creative performance, while an increase in the fronto-striatal dopaminergic pathway in individuals at low dopaminergic baseline levels may promote creative performance. When facing the unexpected stressful stimulus, the disruption of homeostatic balance may lead to the formation of a new steady state, but the direction and stability of this change are different. The regulation of neuromodulation may change or adjust the baseline level, resulting in a directional change on the individuals’ creative performance. With regard to the individuals with low neural network recombination ability, stress may bring about the temporary explosion or attenuation on the individuals’ creative performance. However, with regard to the individuals with higher neural network recombination ability, stress may promote rapid reorganization of individuals, re-establish a new homeostatic balance, and remain a high stability. Several directions in the future studies have also been proposed. On the one hand, future research needs to take into account the biochemical indicators in the HPA and SNS pathways of the stress response from the perspective of the dynamic balance mechanism of the neuroendocrine system, and investigate the effects of changes in the individual hormone levels on the executive function during the process of creative cognitive processing under stress which could further provide a more systematic explanatory path for revealing the mediating mechanism of stress affecting creativity. On the other hand, future research could combine with the multimodal means such as neuroimaging and biomarker measurement technology by introducing the brain network modelling and dynamic analysis and simulation to provide a comprehensive framework of behaviour-neurological molecular level-brain network on how stress affects creative cognition. Comprehensive collection and integrated monitoring on different time windows can promotes the investigation on the impact of stress on creativity and its neurophysiological mechanisms from a multidisciplinary level.

Key words: stress, creativity, dopamine, norepinephrine

摘要： 人类的很多创造性活动都在一定程度的应激状态下完成，探讨应激与创造力之间的关系成为当前的一个研究焦点。本文从神经内分泌的新视角，梳理了多巴胺、去甲肾上腺素与创造力之间的关系，以及二者在应激影响创造性认知加工过程中的内在神经调节机制，力图揭示应激如何通过神经递质调节大脑神经反应进而对创造力产生影响。未来研究应该综合运用多模态手段，继续探索HPA轴在应激影响创造力中的中介作用机制，并从神经内分泌系统动态平衡机制的视角构建神经科学分子水平-脑网络-行为的综合框架。

关键词: 应激, 创造力, 多巴胺, 去甲肾上腺素

段海军王一凡王雪微韩炳淑赵汉璇阚越粹任维. 应激影响创造力的神经生理机制[J]. 心理科学, 2022, 45(3): 754-760.

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