An Energetic View on Creativity, Psychopathology and Intelligence: The Brain2Business Study (B2B)

Psychiatrische Dienste Thurgau

Status: Completed

Conditions: General Psychopathology; Depressive Disorder, Major; Fatigue

Treatments: Behavioral: Integrated 5-day Gratitude Exercise and Behavioral Activation Program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT05544877

PDT_024_B2B

Details and patient eligibility

About

The interventional part of the study aims to assess the acute effect of the Brain2Business (B2B) tool on creative thinking (primary objective) in adults with psychological disorders. Additionally, the study assesses the B2B effects on energy-related sensations and metabolism, technique adherence, gratefulness and goal-directed activation (secondary objectives) in adults with and without psychological disorders. The observational part of the study primarily aims to investigate the link between psychopathology, intelligence, energy-related sensations and metabolism validating the "c factor mito-bioenergetics" (CMB) model in a sample of adults with and without psychological disorders.

Full description

Creativity techniques aim to improve creative thinking and to resolve rigid thinking patterns. They are often recommended and used to generate new insights and perspectives in business and occupational contexts, e.g. to support business development. Despite its successful real-world use, research on the benefits of specific creativity techniques is still in its infancy and it is largely unknown which techniques work best in which contexts.

Most importantly, to the best of the investigators knowledge, (i) specifically designed creativity techniques are not part of any evidence-based psychotherapeutic technique, and (ii) have never been investigated to assist evidence-based psychotherapeutic techniques. Creativity techniques may be helpful in psychotherapy as creative thinking and the generation of new insights and perspectives are believed to be crucial for the efficiency of many psychotherapeutic methods such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy. In addition, it is well-known that people with psychological disorders show less creative thinking, less flexibility and more rigidity in thinking and behavior.

This mixed interventional and observational study has two main aims. The interventional study aims to reveal the effect of a creativity technique - the Brain2Business (B2B) tool - on creative thinking, energy-related sensations and metabolism, technique adherence, gratefulness and goal-directed activation in two different psychotherapeutic techniques (idea generation for pleasurable activities within a behavioral activation therapy (PA-BA) and idea generation for a gratefulness exercise (GE)). As the primary outcome, the acute effect of B2B on creative thinking in adults with a psychological disorder are investigated. As secondary outcomes, the study focuses on the acute B2B effects on energy-related sensations (e.g. tiredness) and metabolism (e.g. heart rate variability) as well as on adherence to the psychotherapeutic techniques, gratefulness and goal-directed activation in adults with and without a psychological disorder.

The B2B tool is a specifically designed creativity technique and depicts a gamified conceptual combination approach. This approach has previously shown to have effects on originality of ideas and it is successfully used in real-world occupational contexts.

The main aim of the observational part of the study is to reveal the relationship between energy-related sensations (e.g., sensations of fatigue and energy), energy metabolism (e.g., heart rate variability, heart rate, core body temperature, skin temperature, blood pressure, cerebral oxygenation), psychopathology, intelligence, and creativity within the newly developed "c factor mito-bioenergetics" (CMB) model. It is a bioenergetic model that links psychopathology and intelligence. The CMB model (i) conceptualizes general cerebral function as the shared variance between intelligence and psychopathology and (ii) assumes that the body's energy metabolism is the biological underpinning of the co-variation between psychopathology and intelligence.

The study will reveal for the first time whether the creativity technique B2B has the potential to assist psychotherapeutic techniques. If the B2B tool efficiently supports creative thinking in psychotherapeutic techniques, clinical trials should follow that compare the psychological effects of a full creativity technique-assisted psychotherapy versus a treatment-as-usual psychotherapy. In addition, the study will evaluate the relation between energy-related sensations and metabolism and validate the CMB model.

Enrollment: 200 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Individuals with and without a diagnosed psychiatric disorder (lifetime or current)

Exclusion criteria

• Acute suicidality
• Self-reported diagnosed neurological disorders that interfere with the study procedures
• Insufficient German language
• Vulnerable participants (e.g. participants with any indications for an incapability of judgement)
• Caffeine, tobacco consumption and physical activity two hours before the lab-based session starts (only for additional biomarker analyses)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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200 participants in 2 patient groups

Brain2Business (B2B)

Experimental group

Description:

The Brain2Business (B2B) technique aims to improve creative thinking. It is a game-based "conceptual combination" method that is performed by the participant with support of one trained B2B administrator in a laboratory session and without support in 5 at-home sessions. In this technique, thirty-six different images are randomly selected on a board by throwing two dices. Inspired by these images, participants are asked to create new ideas regarding three questions for a total of at least 39 minutes over a period of 5 days. One question is from a standardized creativity test and two questions are part of psychotherapeutic techniques (idea generation for pleasurable activities within behavioral activation (PA-BA) and for a gratefulness exercise (GE)). The B2B technique is based on the principles of solo brainstorming (SBS). A trained B2B administrator is documenting the answers of the participant, and mentioning the principles of SBS (see SBS group).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Integrated 5-day Gratitude Exercise and Behavioral Activation Program

Solo Brainstorming (SBS)

Active Comparator group

Description:

Solo brain storming (SBS) is the active control condition. The technique aims to improve creative thinking through the principles of SBS. SBS principles include i) idea quantity goes before quality, ii) no criticism and evaluation of ideas during idea generation, iii) original ideas are encouraged. The principles are provided to participants in the same way, with the same questions to be answered, and over the same time period as in the B2B group. A trained SBS administrator is documenting the answers of the participant, and mentioning the principles of SBS.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Integrated 5-day Gratitude Exercise and Behavioral Activation Program