Sleep and Creativity

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

Status: Withdrawn

Conditions: Creativity Performance in Healthy Subjects

Treatments: Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) over the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG); Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) over the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04650438

2018-01578

Details and patient eligibility

About

Creativity is a complex neuro-psycho-philosophical phenomenon that is difficult to define. Neurocognitive models of creativity suggest that creativity is associated with the activity of a distributed, bilateral fronto-temporal and parietal network. Therefore, a modulation of frontal activity is necessary to allow a certain degree of "controlled disinhibition", which seems to be necessary for creative thinking. In addition, a modulation of the lower parietal lobe (IPL) might allow targeting the brain regions responsible for idea generation.

This project will investigate the application of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with the intent of modulating creativity performance of healthy subjects. Resting state electroencephalography (EEG) that will be acquired pre- and post-TMS and participants' creative performance will be measured.

Perspectives include a better understanding of the differences between high- and low-creativity groups, as measured by a creativity test battery, in their response to TMS. Additional perspectives are whether there are differences in creativity performance depending on the stimulation location.

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 70 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Informed consent as documented by signature
• Age between 18 and 70 years
• Neurologically healthy, i.e., with no documented or present neurological disease or brain injury
• Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity

Exclusion criteria

• Any instable medical condition, in particular epilepsy (past or pre-sent, including seizures or febrile convulsions)
• Any surgical intervention to the brain
• Implanted medical devices (e.g., cochlear implants, infusion pumps, neurostimulators, pacemakers)
• Presence of metal in the region of the head (excluding fixed dental implants such as tooth fillings or fixed dental braces)
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Intake of any medication that is likely to lower seizure threshold
• For female participants: in order to participate in the study, female patients in reproductive age need to take a pregnancy test (a stand-ard urine pregnancy test will be provided).
• Previous enrolment in a creativity study of the same PI

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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0 participants in 2 patient groups

High-creativity

Experimental group

Description:

Here participants are allocated to the high-creativity group. Resting state EEG will be measured pre- and post-TMS and participants' creative performance will be measured by means of a creativity test battery.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) over the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL)

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) over the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)

Low-creativity

Experimental group

Description:

Here participants are allocated to the low-creativity group. Resting state EEG will be measured pre- and post-TMS and participants' creative performance will be measured by means of a creativity test battery.

Treatment:

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) over the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL)

Device: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) over the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)