Consistent neural evidence to support novelty and appropriateness processing for creative thinking: a coordinated meta-analysis using activation likelihood estimation.

Creative thinking is characterized by novelty and appropriateness. Previous research has focused on consistent neural mechanisms across specific creative tasks, leaving the general brain bases of novelty and appropriateness unclear. Therefore, this study used activation likelihood estimation to identify coherent neural activity underlying these two features. After robust selection, forty studies were recruited for novelty analysis, while fifteen were for appropriateness. Two single meta-analyses were performed, followed by contrast and conjunction analyses. Results revealed that novelty processing involved the fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, precuneus, inferior parietal lobule, precentral gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and middle frontal gyrus. Appropriateness processing engaged the superior occipital gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, and medial frontal gyrus. These findings offer robust evidence for understanding independent neural roles that support novelty and appropriateness in creativity. And we also proposed a newly-developed dual model to better understand how these brain regions might interact to serve creative thinking.