Cross-domain analogical reasoning ability links functional connectome to creativity

Abstract

Cross-domain analogical reasoning (CAR) is a potent cognitive tool that links seemingly unrelated knowledge domains, fostering creative thinking by identifying similarities across different fields. This study aimed to identify functional connectomes encoding individual variations in CAR abilities and assess their role in creativity. Participants included 69 typical university students who underwent resting-state brain MRI scans and behavioral tests. These tests assessed both CAR and within-domain analogical reasoning (WAR) abilities using verbal analogy tasks in the A:B::C:D format and measured individual creativity levels using the Alternative Uses Test (AUT). We employed a connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) approach, utilizing the Power264 brain atlas to identify functional connectomes supporting CAR abilities. The CPM analysis indicated that the positive network model could reliably predict individual CAR scores. Functional anatomy and lesion analysis revealed that functional connectivity was broadly distributed across the brain. However, the default mode network, along with specific internetwork connections—such as between the salience and sensory/somatomotor mouth networks, and between the fronto-parietal task control and cingulo-opercular task control networks—showed preferential involvement. Moreover, mediation analysis suggested that CAR mediates the influence of brain functional connectomes on creativity. Our research provides evidence for functional neural markers of CAR and reveals a potential neuropsychological pathway for predicting creativity, whereby brain functional connectomes support creativity through CAR.