The Contribution of Non-invasive Brain Stimulation to the Study of the Neural Bases of Creativity and Aesthetic Experience

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), are widely employed in cognitive neuroscience to identify causal links between specific brain structures supporting sensory, motor, cognitive and affective functions. During the last decade, NIBS techniques have been increasingly applied to the study of the neural basis of creative thinking and aesthetic perception and appreciation. The present chapter offers an overview of mechanisms of actions of TMS and different types of tES and considers recent studies applying these techniques to shed light on the neural underpinning mediating creativity and the emergence of aesthetic experience. Available findings suggest the existence of some areas of overlap between the neural correlates of creativity and aesthetic experience mainly within prefrontal and parietal cortices (core nodes of the executive control and default mode networks); however, sensorimotor regions and low-level visual areas seem to be selectively dedicated to aesthetic experience of visual stimuli. In the concluding part, we consider current limitations and challenges in using NIBS and suggest future avenues for scientific exploration within these fields to fully exploit the great potential of brain stimulation to the study of the neural bases of creativity and aesthetic experiences.