Classical creativity: A functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigation of pianist and improviser Gabriela Montero

Children engage neural reward structures for creative musical improvisation

Children spontaneously engage in creative behaviors. However, little is known about the biological underpinnings of creativity in children. We identified neural substrates associated with musical improvisation in children aged 9-11. Participants played a non-ferromagnetic piano keyboard in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner using a musical paradigm that required no prior musical experience, in which they played a rote pattern from memory or improvised melodies using those same notes. fMRI analysis of children's brains during musical improvisation revealed (1) heightened functional connectivity between emotion and reward brain areas and (2) deactivation of auditory, limbic, and parietal structures, particularly the middle temporal gyrus, angular gyrus, precuneus, and cingulate cortex. Importantly, improvisation engaged reward structures more than the control condition. Neural results suggest that children possess nascent creativity networks that form the roots for later adult creativity networks.

Creativity and its link to epilepsy

Creative thinking represents one of our highest-order cognitive processes, involving multiple cortical structures and an intricate interplay between several cortical and subcortical networks. It results in novel ideas that translate to useful products or concepts. The evolutionary purpose of creativity is therefore apparent, as it advances our adaptation and survival. Elucidating the neurobiology and neuroanatomy of creative cognition is challenging because the construct of creativity is not clearly defined, and the many neuropsychological measures attempting to assess it are often biased, leading to imprecise findings. Using examples from the medical and music fields, creativity is demonstrably linked to the default mode network (DMN), which has the unique property of becoming activated at times of "quiet wakefulness," facilitating "defaulted" internally focused cognitive operations. Creative thoughts result from a process involving the activation and deactivation of the DMN as part of a dynamic interplay shared with the central executive network and affective salience network. The question is posed whether seizures originating from DMN-related cortical areas should be considered as having overlap with eloquent cortex, potentially exempting them from removal in epilepsy surgery. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Creative thinking is a higher-order cognitive process involving multiple brain structures and networks. It results in insightful and original thoughts that translate to useful products or concepts, which allow us to adapt to our surroundings. This Narrative Review presents conceptual, investigational, and neurobiological aspects of creativity, including information about a unique brain network termed "default mode network (DMN)," which activates at times of "quiet wakefulness," facilitating internally focused cognitive operations. The review ends with a discussion on whether regions of the DMN from which seizures originate should be regarded as "eloquent" and their removal should be deferred by epilepsy surgery.

The underlying roles and neurobiological mechanisms of music-based intervention in Alzheimer's disease: A comprehensive review

Non-pharmacological therapy has gained popularity in the intervention of Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to its apparent therapeutic effectiveness and the limitation of biological drug. A wealth of research indicates that music interventions can enhance cognition, mood and behavior in individuals with AD. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms behind these improvements have yet to be fully and systematically delineated. This review aims to holistically review how music-based intervention (MBI) ameliorates abnormal emotion, cognition decline, and behavioral changes in AD patients. We cover several key dimensions: the regulation of MBIs on cerebral blood flow (CBF), their impact on neurotransmission (including GABAergic and monoaminergic transmissions), modulation of synaptic plasticity, and hormonal release. Additionally, we summarize the clinical applications and limitations of active music-based intervention (AMBI), passive music-based intervention (PMBI), and hybrid music-based intervention (HMBI). This thorough analysis enhances our understanding of the role of MBI in AD and supports the development of non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies.

Intra- and inter-brain coupling and activity dynamics during improvisational music therapy with a person with dementia: an explorative EEG-hyperscanning single case study

Objective

Real-life research into the underlying neural dynamics of improvisational music therapy, used with various clinical populations, is largely lacking. This single case study explored within-session differences in musical features and in within- and between-brain coupling between a Person with Dementia (PwD) and a music therapist during a music therapy session.

Methods

Dual-EEG from a music therapist and a PwD (male, 31 years) was recorded. Note density, pulse clarity and synchronicity were extracted from audio-visual data. Three music therapists identified moments of interest and no interest (MOI/MONI) in two drum improvisations. The Integrative Coupling Index, reflecting time-lagged neural synchronization, and musical features were compared between the MOI and MONI.

Results

Between-brain coupling of 2 Hz activity was increased during the MOI, showing anteriority of the therapist's neural activity. Within-brain coupling for the PwD was stronger from frontal and central areas during the MOI, but within-brain coupling for the therapist was stronger during MONI. Differences in musical features indicated that both acted musically more similar to one another during the MOI.

Conclusion

Within-session differences in neural synchronization and musical features highlight the dynamic nature of music therapy.

Significance

The findings contribute to a better understanding of social and affective processes in the brain and (interactive) musical behaviors during specific moments in a real-life music therapy session. This may provide insights into the role of such moments for relational-therapeutic processes.

Beta and Theta Oscillations Correlate With Subjective Time During Musical Improvisation in Ecological and Controlled Settings: A Single Subject Study

In this paper, we describe the results of a single subject study attempting at a better understanding of the subjective mental state during musical improvisation. In a first experiment, we setup an ecological paradigm measuring EEG on a musician in free improvised concerts with an audience, followed by retrospective rating of the mental state of the improviser. We introduce Subjective Temporal Resolution (STR), a retrospective rating assessing the instantaneous quantization of subjective timing of the improviser. We identified high and low STR states using Hidden Markov Models in two performances, and were able to decode those states using supervised learning on instantaneous EEG power spectrum, showing increases in theta and alpha power with high STR values. In a second experiment, we found an increase of theta and beta power when experimentally manipulating STR in a musical improvisation imagery experiment. These results are interpreted with respect to previous research on flow state in creativity, as well as with the temporal processing literature. We suggest that a component of the subjective state of musical improvisation may be reflected in an underlying mechanism related to the subjective quantization of time. We also demonstrate the feasibility of single case studies of musical improvisation using brain activity measurements and retrospective reports, by obtaining consistent results across multiple sessions.