Creativity
Is it possible that the impulsivity and quick-thinking that accompanies ADHD may also boost creativity? And what role does medication have in that creative process? Does stimulant medication hamper creativity, or boost it? The ADHD brain may not be held back as much by constraints on thinking. In a study by Abraham et al. (2006), adolescents [...]
In a study of 40 children who had or were at risk for bipolar disorder scored higher on a measure of creativity than 18 children without the disorder. All of the children's parents had bipolar disorder. Half of the children of bipolar parents had bipolar disorder themselves, and the other half had ADHD. In the measure [...]
Dr. Charles Limb at Johns Hopkins University used MRIs of jazz musicians to determine the brain's processes during jazz improvisation. When the musicians improvised, the brain's inhibition processes shut down. In addition, the brain's dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, where self-monitoring comes from, also shut down. The brain's medial prefrontal cortex turned on, which provides self-expression. Also, the [...]