Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reveals Differences in Large-Scale Network Interactions Between Eminent and Non-Eminent Thinkers

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Prior work suggests that differences in brain morphology and task-evoked neural activity may underlie extraordinary creative achievement. Here, we extend these findings by focusing on resting blood oxygen level–dependent (rsBOLD) functional connectivity differences between eminent creators from diverse fields of expertise and a “smart” comparison group of age- and education-matched non-eminent thinkers. Participants underwent rsBOLD imaging, along with a high-resolution structural brain scan, and completed a series of demographic and behavioral measures. The results revealed significant differences in rsBOLD connectivity between the eminent and noneminent thinkers. Eminent thinkers showed increased connectivity between (a) the right central operculum and the bilateral parietal operculum, right supramarginal gyrus, and left precentral gyrus; (b) the right precentral gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus; (c) the left parietal operculum and the right central operculum and the right sensorimotor cortex; and (d) the posterior cingulate gyrus and the right precentral gyrus. In contrast, they showed decreased connectivity between (a) the posterior cingulate gyrus and the left supracalcarine cortex and (b) between the left occipital fusiform gyrus and the left frontal operculum. These results suggest that extraordinary creativity may be associated with measurable differences in functional connectivity, particularly in areas that support creative functions.