Enhancing Creativity With Combined Transcranial Direct Current and Random Noise Stimulation of the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Inferior Frontal Gyrus

Creativity is a fundamental human accomplishment from scientific advances to composing music. The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) are important metacontrol hubs in flexibility persistence brain states, respectively. Those related divergent thinking, insight problem-solving, convergent thinking. In this double-blind, between-subjects study, 81 healthy participants were randomly assigned one of three groups (n = 27) that received combined transcranial direct current stimulation–transcranial random noise stimulation (tDCS-tRNS) protocol with the anode over DLPFC cathode IFG (+DLPFC?IFG), opposite montage (?DLPFC+IFG), sham group (+DLPFC?IFG). Both active tDCS-tRNS 20 min 1 mA tDCS (100–500 Hz) tRNS. was assessed before (baseline) during Unusual Uses, Picture Completion (PC), Remote Association test (RAT), Matchstick Arithmetic (MA), Nine-dot (ND) problems. Only +DLPFC?IFG had significantly higher scores compared RAT (p .009), PC fluency .018), originality .007), ND MA .032). Overall, ?DLPFC+IFG greater all creativity tests sham. Implications theory discussed.