A meta-analysis of the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on creative thinking

Creative thinking is a unique higher-order human capacity that leads to novel and appropriate products or ideas. Researchers have increasingly turned to transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), employing weak electrical stimulation to augment individual creative performance. Despite these efforts, the field grapples with inconsistent findings, necessitating a comprehensive overview on the effects of tDCS on creative thinking. The current meta-analysis synthesized 32 qualified studies with 125 effect sizes and 1,538 participants. We evaluated the overall effect of anodal and cathodal tDCS protocols separately and conducted in-depth subgroup analyses for anodal tDCS, exploring multiple moderator variables. Random effects model meta-analysis revealed small positive effects of anodal tDCS on creative performance but not for cathodal tDCS. Further analyses of moderator variables uncovered that anodal tDCS led to significant improvements in convergent thinking tasks but did not have a significant impact on divergent thinking tasks and the three common dimensions: fluency, originality, and flexibility. Concerning targeted brain regions, we observed a notable enhancement of creative performance with anodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and right inferior frontal gyrus, whereas anodal tDCS over the left inferior frontal gyrus was associated with decreased creative performance. Critically, creative performance in both divergent thinking task and convergent thinking task was enhanced with anodal tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This study presents a comprehensive meta-analysis, illustrating the potential of tDCS protocols in enhancing creative performances. Our findings shed light on the nuanced effects of tDCS, emphasizing the importance of precise targeting and task specificity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)