Effects of slow oscillatory HD-tDCS on creative cognition and prefrontal cortex activity: a multimodal EEG-fNIRS study
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2026-05
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Elsevier B.V.
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Creativity relies on the dynamic interaction between the default mode (DMN) and frontoparietal control (FPCN) networks, supported by controlled attentional processing and associative strategies. Slow wave activity (SWA: 0.1– 1 Hz) is a critical component of network reorganization during non-REM sleep; while slow oscillatory tDCS (so-tDCS) at 0.75 Hz has been shown to acutely modulate SWA to enhance cognition. This study employed a novel concurrent EEG-fNIRS multimodal imaging approach to investigate whether so-tDCS at 0.75 Hz over the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) modulates brain oscillations and haemodynamics to promote creativity. Participants (N = 39) completed the Unusual Uses and Picture Completion (PC) creative tasks while receiving sham/so-tDCS at 0.75 Hz using a 2 × 1 high-definition (HD) montage with two anodes (F3, F4) and one cathode (Fpz) for 30 min in a double-blind, sham-controlled, crossover experiment. Compared to sham, so-tDCS significantly increased originality in PC (p = .014, g = 0.40) and was accompanied by sustained increases in oxygenation in the left prefrontal cortex (PFC, p = .003). Post-stimulation, functional connectivity (FC) within left PFC was increased and within right was reduced, accompanied by significantly lower SWA in the left PFC. In addition, asymmetrical fNIRS-derived FC patterns were observed: higher left intrahemispheric PFC (p = .007), and lower interhemispheric PFC (p = .015). These findings suggest that so-tDCS using a HD montage over the bilateral DLPFC and mPFC enhances visual creativity by dynamically adjusting the left PFC resources, which subsequently may trigger downscaling mechanisms.
Palabras clave
Creativity
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
EEG
FNIRS
Medial prefrontal cortex
Slow oscillatory tDCS
Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
EEG
FNIRS
Medial prefrontal cortex
Slow oscillatory tDCS
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Martinez-Martinez, S., Muthalib, M., Sampedro, A., Ojeda, N., & Peña, J. (2026). Effects of slow oscillatory HD-tDCS on creative cognition and prefrontal cortex activity: a multimodal EEG-fNIRS study. Biological Psychology, 207. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BIOPSYCHO.2026.109264