SynthesisHuman brain mapping2020
A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of divergent thinking using activation likelihood estimation.
Synthesis in Human brain mapping, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Brain Structural Abnormalities in Addiction Disorders: Transdiagnostic Meta-Analyses.Human brain mapping · 2026Pooled it
- Consistent neural evidence to support novelty and appropriateness processing for creative thinking: a coordinated meta-analysis using activation likelihood estimation.Brain structure & function · 2026Pooled it
- Dual-Task Training Interventions for Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Effects on Postural Balance and Walking Speed.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of fMRI studies related to mathematical creativity.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Pooled it
- A meta-analytical review of the impact of mindfulness on creativity: Framing current lines of research and defining moderator variables.Psychonomic bulletin & review · 2023Pooled it
- Uncovering neural distinctions and commodities between two creativity subsets: A meta-analysis of fMRI studies in divergent thinking and insight using activation likelihood estimation.Human brain mapping · 2022Pooled it
- A meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of divergent thinking using activation likelihood estimation.Human brain mapping · 2020Pooled it
- Are Creative People More Susceptible to False Memory? Evidence for Age- and Task-Related Differences.Creativity research journal · 2026Article
- Review
- Dance to be creative: the creative beliefs, creativity ability and improvisation performance in experts, amateurs, and non-dancers.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Investigating age-related differences in semantic control mechanisms involved in creative cognition.Memory & cognition · 2026Article
- Behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia as a model for understanding the cognitive and cerebral determinants of verbal creativity.Behavioral and brain functions : BBF · 2025Article
- Subjective valuation as a domain-general process in creative thinking.Communications psychology · 2025Article
- Oxytocin enhances creativity specifically in approach-motivated individuals.Social cognitive and affective neuroscience · 2025Article
- Potential neural mechanisms of acupuncture therapy on migraine: a systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis update.Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2025Article
- Are False Memory and Creative Thinking Mediated by Common Neural Substrates? An fMRI Meta-Analysis.Creativity research journal · 2025Article
- Creative connections: the neural correlates of semantic relatedness are associated with creativity.Communications biology · 2024Article
- Where in the brain is creativity? The fallacy of a creativity faculty in the brain.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- On the connection between creativity and aesthetics.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Creativity at rest: Exploring functional network connectivity of creative experts.Network neuroscience (Cambridge, Mass.) · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
There are conflicting findings regarding brain regions and networks underpinning creativity, with divergent thinking tasks commonly used to study this. A handful of meta-analyses have attempted to synthesise findings on neural mechanisms of divergent thinking. With the rapid proliferation of research and recent developments in fMRI meta-analysis approaches, it is timely to reassess the regions activated during divergent thinking creativity tasks. Of particular interest is examining the evidence regarding large-scale brain networks proposed to be key in divergent thinking and extending this work to consider the role of the semantic control network. Studies utilising fMRI with healthy participants completing divergent thinking tasks were systematically identified, with 20 studies meeting the criteria. Activation Likelihood Estimation was then used to integrate the neuroimaging results across studies. This revealed four clusters: the left inferior parietal lobe; the left inferior frontal and precentral gyrus; the superior and medial frontal gyrus and the right cerebellum. These regions are key in the semantic network, important for flexible retrieval of stored knowledge, highlighting the role of this network in divergent thinking.
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Registered trials
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.