Poor creativity in frontotemporal dementia: A window into the neural bases of the creative mind

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• 作者：Leonardo Cruz de Souza ; Emmanuelle Volle ; Maxime Bertoux ; Virginie Czernecki ; Auré ; lie Funkiewiez ; Gilles Allali ; Baptiste Leroy ; Marie Sarazin ; Marie-Odile Habert ; Bruno Dubois ; Auré ; lie Kas
• 关键词：Creativity ; Frontotemporal dementia ; Frontal cortex ; Executive functions
• 刊名：Neuropsychologia
• 出版年：2010
• 出版时间：November 2010
• 年：2010
• 卷：48
• 期：13
• 页码：3733-3742
• 全文大小：602 K

文摘

Background

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) supports functions critical for creative thinking. Damage to the PFC is expected to impair creativity. Yet, previous works suggested the emergence of artistic talent in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), which was interpreted as increased creativity.

Objective

We designed a study in patients with frontal variant (fv) of FTLD in order to verify whether: (1) creativity is impaired after frontal degeneration, (2) poor creativity is associated with frontal dysfunctions, and (3) poor creativity is related to hypoperfusion in specific PFC regions.

Materials and methods

Three groups of subjects were enrolled in the study: fvFTLD patients (n = 17), non-demented Parkinson's disease (PD) patients (n = 12) and healthy controls (n = 17). Participants performed a standardized test of creativity, the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking (TTCT) and tests assessing frontal functions. Brain perfusion was correlated to fvFTLD patients’ performance in the TTCT.

Results

Patients with fvFTLD were strongly impaired in all dimensions of the TTCT, compared to PD patients and controls. Disinhibited and perseverative responses were observed only in fvFTLD patients, leading to “pseudo-creative” responses. Poor creativity was positively correlated with several frontal tests. Poor creativity was also correlated with prefrontal hypoperfusion, particularly in the frontal pole.

Conclusions

Poor creativity is associated with fvFTLD. The results also suggest that the integrity of the PFC (in particular frontopolar) is strongly associated with creative thinking. The emergence of artistic talent in patients with fvFTLD is explained by the release of involuntary behaviors, rather than by the development of creative thinking.