To stimulate, or to meditate? That is the question! A randomized, sham-controlled trial exploring the effects of tDCS and mindfulness on cognition and creative thinking

Abstract

Abstract Background: Our daily cognitive and sensory experiences change exponentially fast, thus requiring individuals to exert a great effort in terms of neural adaptation. Our cognitive system simultaneously needs to be flexible, allowing for prompt switching from routine functioning to Creative-On mode. Creativity has been defined as humankind’s ultimate resource and can be enhanced by using neuroscientific techniques, such as neuromodulation and neurostimulation. This way the Creative-On mode, essentially based on a transitory functional reset of frontal cortices, and in particular the Inferior Frontal Gyrus (IFG), can “unlock” divergent, creative thinking. Alongside neuromodulation techniques, meditation has been proposed to be associated with a phenomenon known as "transient hypofrontality", with subsequent alterations in perception of self and cognitive capacities that can influence creative skills. Here we describe a study using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) paired with mindfulness meditation to enhance both convergent and divergent thinking. Methods: We recruited 45 healthy volunteers divided in three experimental groups: A received active tDCS stimulation and real mindfulness meditation (e-meditation), B received sham tDCS and real mindfulness meditation, while the third one (C) received active tDCS stimulation and a relaxing book reading which did not involve specific mindfulness techniques. The participants received their randomized experimental condition 20-minutes daily for 4 consecutive days, with pre-and post- experiment cognitive and creative assessment. Results: Participants receiving intervention A demonstrated enhanced convergent thinking compared to sham stimulation, whereas intervention C enhanced divergent thinking compared to sham stimulation. Findings will be discussed at light of the neurofunctional models of creativity. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that pairing tDCS with mindfulness for four days facilitates critical and analytical thinking. Furthermore, tDCS paired with non-mindfulness techniques allow for more divergent and creative thought processes to emerge. These findings suggest that the tDCS-paired behavioral intervention allows for targeting of behavioral outcomes. Keywords: creativity, divergent thinking, mindfulness, tDCS