Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25891081›Full record

SynthesisHuman brain mapping2015

A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on divergent thinking using activation likelihood estimation.

Xin Wu, Wenjing Yang, Dandan Tong, Jiangzhou Sun, Qunlin Chen, Dongtao Wei, Qinglin Zhang, Meng Zhang, Jiang Qiu

Open access · bronzeAbstract readMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Human brain mapping, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 63 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
63citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
9.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

63 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 242 citations in OpenAlex.

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3 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Xin WuSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Wenjing YangSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Dandan TongSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Jiangzhou SunSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Qunlin ChenSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Dongtao WeiSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Qinglin ZhangSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Meng ZhangSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Jiang QiuSchool of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China · CNSouthwest University · CNHeze University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In this study, an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was used to conduct a quantitative investigation of neuroimaging studies on divergent thinking. Based on the ALE results, the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies showed that distributed brain regions were more active under divergent thinking tasks (DTTs) than those under control tasks, but a large portion of the brain regions were deactivated. The ALE results indicated that the brain networks of the creative idea generation in DTTs may be composed of the lateral prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex [such as the inferior parietal lobule (BA 40) and precuneus (BA 7)], anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) (BA 32), and several regions in the temporal cortex [such as the left middle temporal gyrus (BA 39), and left fusiform gyrus (BA 37)]. The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 46) was related to selecting the loosely and remotely associated concepts and organizing them into creative ideas, whereas the ACC (BA 32) was related to observing and forming distant semantic associations in performing DTTs. The posterior parietal cortex may be involved in the semantic information related to the retrieval and buffering of the formed creative ideas, and several regions in the temporal cortex may be related to the stored long-term memory. In addition, the ALE results of the structural studies showed that divergent thinking was related to the dopaminergic system (e.g., left caudate and claustrum). Based on the ALE results, both fMRI and structural MRI studies could uncover the neural basis of divergent thinking from different aspects (e.g., specific cognitive processing and stable individual difference of cognitive capability).

Indexed as

CreativityLikelihood FunctionsAdolescentAdultHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingPrefrontal CortexThinkingYoung Adultactivation likelihood estimationcreativitydivergent thinkingMRI studies

Identifiers

PMID25891081
PMCPMC6869224
OpenAlexW1916806853

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.