TY - JOUR

T1 - Topographic features of theta activity in young and elderly subjects at the initial stage of creative problem solving: Sloreta analysis

AU - Privodnova, E. Yu

AU - Volf, N. V.

PY - 2018/1/1

Y1 - 2018/1/1

N2 - Previously, we showed age-related differences in the temporal dynamics of changes induced by the divergent task in the power of the EEG theta rhythm in the anterior brain areas at the initial stage of solving the verbal divergent problem. At the moment, data on the differential functional significance of specific frontal-central cerebral structures for cognitive processes associated with creative thinking have been collected, which provides a need for more precise spatial determination of the effect, possible with employment of sLORETA method. The goal of the present study was to investigate the topography of differences in spatial organization of reactivity of current source density estimates for theta frequency rhythm in young (N = 80, mean age 22.6 ± 3 years) and elderly adults (N = 80, mean age 63.4 ± 6.7 years). Time window 400-600 ms after task presentation, which corresponds to the initial forming of associations during divergent problem solving, was considered. Higher current source density estimates of theta rhythm in elderly subjects were shown in comparison with young, the most pronounced in precentral gyrus, posterior part of inferior frontal gyrus, insula in left hemisphere, anterior part of inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus-in the right. We assumed that significance of the right fronto-temporal structures may be linked with forming remote semantic associations, while the frontal structures of the left hemisphere are related to the selection of information and the presetting for the actualization of unusual associations.

AB - Previously, we showed age-related differences in the temporal dynamics of changes induced by the divergent task in the power of the EEG theta rhythm in the anterior brain areas at the initial stage of solving the verbal divergent problem. At the moment, data on the differential functional significance of specific frontal-central cerebral structures for cognitive processes associated with creative thinking have been collected, which provides a need for more precise spatial determination of the effect, possible with employment of sLORETA method. The goal of the present study was to investigate the topography of differences in spatial organization of reactivity of current source density estimates for theta frequency rhythm in young (N = 80, mean age 22.6 ± 3 years) and elderly adults (N = 80, mean age 63.4 ± 6.7 years). Time window 400-600 ms after task presentation, which corresponds to the initial forming of associations during divergent problem solving, was considered. Higher current source density estimates of theta rhythm in elderly subjects were shown in comparison with young, the most pronounced in precentral gyrus, posterior part of inferior frontal gyrus, insula in left hemisphere, anterior part of inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus-in the right. We assumed that significance of the right fronto-temporal structures may be linked with forming remote semantic associations, while the frontal structures of the left hemisphere are related to the selection of information and the presetting for the actualization of unusual associations.

KW - Aging

KW - Divergent thinking

KW - Forming of associations

KW - SLORETA

KW - Theta

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85059566233&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.7868/S0044467718030048

DO - 10.7868/S0044467718030048

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85059566233

VL - 68

SP - 304

EP - 312

JO - Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deyatelnosti Imeni I.P. Pavlova

JF - Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deyatelnosti Imeni I.P. Pavlova

SN - 0044-4677

IS - 3

ER -