Abstract Details

Title An Unlikely Likely Pairing – How the Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus Supports Creativity in Bilinguals: A Representational Similarity Analysis

Topic General Neurology

Presentation(s) S39 - General Neurology 2 (11:39 AM-11:51 AM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 003

Objective This study investigates the role of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in supporting creativity among bilingual individuals using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a novel computational neuroscience analysis called Representational Similarity Analysis (RSA).

Background Bilingualism and creativity are complex cognitive functions that share neural and executive processing mechanisms. The left IFG is implicated in both language processing and creative cognition, making it a key region for examining the intersection between these cognitive domains.

Design/Methods Thirty participants, including bilingual and monolingual individuals, completed a metaphor production task in both English and Spanish while undergoing fMRI scanning. RSA was employed to assess the neural similarity across language and creativity conditions.

Results Results indicated no statistical significance between first and second language metaphor production (compared to synonyms), suggesting that while this region plays a role in both bilingualism and creativity, its function may be more complex than previously thought.

Conclusions

These findings challenge existing theories on the bilingual advantage in creativity and suggest that the relationship between the two may be mediated by external factors such as language proficiency and executive function, or even by another brain region besides the left IFG. Future research should explore individual differences in bilingual experience and cognitive flexibility to better understand the nuanced interplay between language and creativity.

Authors/Disclosures
Emma Khoury PRESENTER	Miss Khoury has nothing to disclose.

��ɫ��

��ɫ��