Abstract
The first neuroimaging study of real-time brain activity during insight problem solving was conducted almost ten years ago. Many subsequent studies have used high-resolution event-related potentials (ERPs) and event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the temporal dynamics and neural correlates of insight. Recent results on the neural underpinnings of insight have led researchers to propose a neural framework referred to as the “insightful brain”. This putative framework represents the neural basis of the cognitive and affective processes that are involved in insight. The insightful brain may involve numerous brain regions, including the lateral prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, hippocampus, superior temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, cuneus, insula and cerebellum. Functional studies have demonstrated that the lateral prefrontal cortex is responsible for mental set shifting and breaking during insight problem solving. The cingulate cortex is involved in the cognitive conflict between new and old ideas and progress monitoring. The hippocampus, superior temporal gyrus and fusiform gyrus form an integrated functional network that specializes in the formation of novel and effective associations. The effective transformation of problem representations depends on a non-verbal visuospatial information-processing network that comprises the precuneus and cuneus. The insula reflects cognitive flexibility and the emotional experience that is associated with insight. The cortical control of finger movements relies on the cerebellum.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kohler W. The Mentality of Apes. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1925
Luo J. Neural correlates of insight (in Chinese). Acta Psychol Sin, 2004, 36: 219–234
Miller E K, Cohen J D. An integrative theory of prefrontal cortex function. Annu Rev Neurosci, 2001, 24: 167–202
Tanji J, Hoshi E. Role of the lateral prefrontal cortex in executive behavioral control. Physiol Rev, 2008, 88: 37–57
Shimamura A P. A neurocognitive approach to metacognitive monitoring and control. In: Dunlosky J, Bjork R A, eds. Handbook of Memory and Metacognition. New York: Psychology Press, 2008. 373–390
Naghavi H R, Nyberg L. Common fronto-parietal activity in attention, memory, and consciousness: Shared demands on integration? Conscious Cogn, 2005, 14: 390–425
Goel V, Vartanian O. Disassociating the roles of right ventral lateral and dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex in generation and maintenance of hypotheses in set-shift problems. Cereb Cortex, 2005, 15: 1170–1177
Miller L A, Tippett L J. Effects of focal brain lesions on visual problem-solving. Neuropsychologia, 1996, 34: 387–398
Schneider F, Gur R E, Alavi A, et al. Cerebral blood flow changes in limbic regions induced by unsolvable anagram tasks. Am J Psychiat, 1996, 153: 206–212
Luo J, Niki K. Function of hippocampus in ‘insight’ of problem solving. Hippocampus, 2003, 13: 316–323
Jung-Beeman M, Bowden E M, Haberman J, et al. Neural activity when people solve verbal problems with insight. PLoS Biol, 2004, 2: e97
Gilbert S J, Zamenopoulos T, Alexiou K, et al. Involvement of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in ill-structured design cognition: An fMRI study. Brain Res, 2010, 1312: 79–88
Goel V, Grafman J. The role of the right prefrontal cortex in ill-structured problem solving. Cogn Neuropsychol, 2000, 17: 415–436
Shen W B, Liu C, Wang Y J. Neurophysiological basis of artistic creativity (in Chinese). Adv Psychol Sci, 2010, 18: 1520–1528
Luo J, Niki K, Philips S. Neural correlates of the ‘Aha! reaction’. Neuroreport, 2004, 12: 2013–2017
Luo J, Niki K, Knoblich G. Perceptual contributions to problem solving: Chunk decomposition of Chinese characters. Brain Res Bull, 2006, 70: 430–443
Tang X C, Pang J Y, Luo J. Zeigarnik effect in Insight problem solving: Hemispheric difference in brain activities following problem solving and during hint presentation (in Chinese). Chin Sci Bull (Chin Ver), 2009, 54: 3464–3474
Aziz-Zadeh L, Kaplan J T, Iacoboni M. “Aha!” The neural correlates of verbal insight solutions. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009, 30: 908–916
Anderson J R, Anderson J F, Ferris J L, et al. Lateral inferior prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex are engaged at different stages in the solution of insight problems. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2009, 106: 10799–10804
Qiu J, Li H, Jou J, et al. Neural correlates of the “Aha” experiences: Evidence from an fMRI study of insight problem solving. Cortex, 2010, 46: 397–403
Qiu J, Li H, Yang D, et al. The neural basis of insight problem solving: An event-related potential study. Brain Cogn, 2008, 68: 100–106
Qiu J, Zhang Q L. “Aha!” effects in a guessing Chinese logogriph task: An event-related potential study. Chin Sci Bull, 2008, 53: 384–391
Wagner A D, Pare-Blagoev E J, Clark J, et al. Recovering meaning: Left prefrontal cortex guides controlled semantic retrieval. Neuron, 2001, 31: 329–338
Wang T, Zhang Q L, Li H, et al. The time course of Chinese riddles solving: Evidence from an ERP study. Behav Brain Res, 2009, 199: 278–282
Darsaud A, Wagner U, Balteau E, et al. Neural precursors of delayed insight. J Cogn Neurosci, 2011, 23: 1900–1910
Lang S, Kanngieser N, Jaskowski P, et al. Precursors of insight in event-related brain potentials. J Cogn Neurosci, 2006, 18: 2152–2166
Sandkühler S, Bhattacharya J. Deconstructing insight: EEG correlates of insightful problem solving. PLoS One, 2008, 3: e1459
Sheth B R, Sandkühler S, Bhattacharya J. Posterior beta and anterior gamma oscillations predict cognitive insight. J Cogn Neurosci, 2008, 21: 1269–1279
Luo J, Niki K, Philips S. The function of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the insightful solving of puzzles: The ACC is activated less when the structure of the puzzle is known. J Psychol Chin Soc, 2004, 5: 195–213
Garavan H, Ross T J, Murphy K, et al. Dissociable executive functions in the dynamic control of behaviour: Inhibition, error detection and correction. NeuroImage, 2002, 17: 1820–1829
Kerns J G, Cohen J D, MacDonald A W III, et al. Anterior cingulate conflict monitoring and adjustments in control. Science, 2004, 303: 1023–1026
Phan K L, Taylor S F, Welsh R C, et al. Activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and extended amygdala by individual ratings of emotional arousal: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Biol Psychiat, 2003, 53: 211–215
Botvinick M M, Cohen J D, Carter C S. Conflict monitoring and anterior cingulate cortex: An update. Trends Cogn Sci, 2004, 8: 539–546
Clark L, Cools R, Robbins T W. The neuropsychology of ventral prefrontal cortex: Decision making and reversal learning. Brain Cogn, 2004, 55: 41–53
Davis K D, Taylor K S, Hutchison W D, et al. Human anterior cingulate cortex neurons encode cognitive and emotional demands. J Neurosci, 2005, 25: 8402–8406
Wang C, Ulbert I, Schomer D L, et al. Responses of human anterior cingulate cortex microdomains to error detection, conflict monitoring, stimulus-response mapping, familiarity, and orienting. J Neurosci, 2005, 25: 604–613
Kowatari Y, Lee S, Yamamura H, et al. Neural networks involved in artistic creativity. Hum Brain Mapp, 2009, 30: 1678–1690
Knutson B, Taylor J, Kaufman M, et al. Distributed neural representation of expected value. J Neurosci, 2005, 25: 4806–4812
Shenhav A S, Greene J D. Moral judgments recruit domain-general valuation mechanisms to integrate representations of probability and magnitude. Neuron, 2010, 67: 667–677
Swick D, Turken A U. Dissociation between conflict detection and error monitoring in the human anterior cingulate cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2002, 99: 16354–16359
Egner T, Etkin A, Gale S, et al. Dissociable neural systems resolve conflict from emotional versus non-emotional distracters. Cereb Cortex, 2008, 18: 1475–1484
Mai X Q, Luo J, Wu J H, et al. “Aha!” effects in guessing riddle task: An ERP study. Hum Brain Mapp, 2004, 22: 261–270
Mai X Q, Luo J, Wu J H, et al. The ERP efffects of insight in a riddle guessing task (in Chinese). Acta Psychol Sin, 2005, 37: 19–25
Qiu J, Luo Y J, Wu Z Z, et al. A further study of the ERP effects ‘insight’ in a riddle guessing task (in Chinese). Acta Psychol Sin, 2006, 38: 507–514
Qiu J, Zhang Q L, Li H, et al. The ERP effects of cognitive conflict in a Chinese character-generation task. Neuroreport, 2007, 18: 881–886
Redish A D. The hippocampal debate: Are we asking the right questions? Behav Brain Res, 2001, 127: 81–98
Bechtereva N P, Korotkov A D, Pakhomov S V, et al. PET study of brain maintenance of verbal creative activity. Int J Psychophysiol, 2004, 53: 11–20
Kounios J, Frymiare J L, Bowden E M, et al. The prepared mind: Neural activity prior to problem presentation predicts solution by sudden insight. Psychol Sci, 2006, 17: 882–890
Zhang M, Tian F, Wu X, et al. Neural correlates of “Aha!” effects in solving Chinese verbal problems: An event related-potential study. Brain Res Bull, 2011, 84: 210–214
Starchenko M G, Bechtereva N P, Pakhomov S V, et al. Study of the brain organization of creative thinking. Hum Physiol, 2003, 29: 652–653
Cohen L, Dehaene S. Specialization within the ventral stream: The case for the visual word form area. NeuroImage, 2004, 22: 466–476
Shen W B, Liu C, Zhang X J, et al. The time course and hemispheric effect of “insight” in three-character Chinese riddles task: An ERP study (in Chinese). Acta Psychol Sin, 2011, 43: 229–240
Dolan R J, Fink G R, Rolls E, et al. How the brain learns to see objects and faces in an impoverished context. Nature, 1997, 389: 596–599
McCarthy G, Puce A, Gore J C, et al. Face-specific processing in the human fusiform gyrus. J Cogn Neurosci, 1997, 9: 605–610
Schultz J, Imamizu H, Kawato M, et al. Activation of the human superior temporal gyrus during observation of goal attribution by intentional objects. J Cogn Neurosci, 2004, 16: 1695–1705
Barnea-Goraly N, Kwon H, Menon V, et al. White matter structure in autism: Preliminary evidence from diffusion tensor imaging. Biol Psychiatry, 2004, 55: 323–329
Saxe R, Kanwisher N. People thinking about thinking people: The role of the temporo-parietal junction in “theory of mind”. NeuroImage, 2003, 19: 1835–1842
Gobbini M I, Koralek A C, Bryan R E, et al. Two takes on the social brain: A comparison of theory of mind tasks. J Cogn Neurosci, 2007, 19: 1803–1814
Frith C D, Frith U. Interacting minds-A biological basis. Science, 1999, 286: 1692–1695
Flaherty A W. Frontotemporal and dopaminergic control of idea generation and creative drive. J Comp Neurol, 2005, 493: 147–153
Shen W B, Liu C, Chen J J. Neural basis of creativity: Evidence from structural and functional imaging (in Chinese). Adv Psychol Sci, 2010, 18: 1420–1429
Krause C M, Åström T, Karrasch, M, et al. Cortical activation related to auditory semantic matching of concrete vs. abstract words. Clin Neurophysiol, 1999, 110: 1371–1377
Korsnes M S, Wright A A, Gabrieli J D E. An fMRI analysis of object priming and workload in the precuneus complex. Neuropsychologia, 2008, 46: 1454–1462
Lundstrom B N, Peterson K M, Anderson J, et al. Isolating the retrieval of imagined pictures during episodic memory: Activation of the left precuneus and the left inferior frontal cortex. NeuroImage, 2003, 27: 1934–1943
Cavanna A E, Trimble M R. The precuneus: A review of its functional anatomy and behavioural correlates. Brain, 2006, 129: 564–583
Oishi K, Toma K, Bagarinao E T, et al. Activation of the precuneus is related to reduced reaction time in serial reaction time tasks. Neurosci Res, 2005, 52: 37–45
Luo J, Niki K, Ding Z G, et al. Precuneus contributes to attentive control of finger movement. Acta Pharmacol Sin, 2004, 25: 637–643
Wu Q Y, Wu L L, Luo J. What and where-the effective connectivity of dorsal and ventral visual pathways in chunk decomposition. Sci China Life Sci, 2010, 53: 1474–1482
Jabbi M, Bastiaansen J, Keysers C. A common anterior insula representation of disgust observation, experience and imagination shows divergent functional connectivity pathways. PLoS One, 2008, 3: e2939
Murphy F C, Nimmo-Smith I, Lawrence A D. Functional neuroanatomy of emotions: A meta-analysis. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, 2003, 3: 207–233
Phan K L, Wager T, Taylor S F, et al. Functional neuroanatomy of emotion: A meta-analysis of emotion activation studies in PET and fMRI. NeuroImage, 2002, 16: 331–348
Lane R D, Reiman E M, Ahern G L, et al. Neuroanatomical correlates of happiness, sadness, and disgust. Am J Psychiat, 1997, 154: 926–933
Wager T D, Feldman B L. From affect to control: Functional specialization of the insula in motivation and regulation. Published online at PsycExtra (http://www.columbia.edu/cu/psychology/tor/), 2004
McCrea S M. Intuition, insight and the right hemisphere: Emergence of higher sociocognitive functions. Psychol Res Behav Manag, 2010, 3: 1–39
Tian F, Tu S, Lv J Y, et al. Neural correlates of mental preparation for successful insight problem solving. Behav Brain Res, 2011, 216: 626–630
Liang X, Wang J H, He Y. Human connectome: Structural and functional brain networks (in Chinese). Chin Sci Bull (Chin Ver), 2010, 55: 1565–1583
Schilling M A. A “small-world” network model of cognitive insight. Creativity Res J, 2005, 17: 131–154
Subramaniam K, Kounios J, Parrish T B, et al. A brain mechanism for facilitation of insight by positive affect. J Cogn Neurosci, 2009, 21: 415–432
Sakaki M, Niki K. Effects of the brief viewing of emotional stimuli on understanding of insight solutions. Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, 2011, 11: 526–540
Wu L, Knoblich G, Luo J. The role chunk tightness and chunk familiarity in problem solving: Evidence from ERPs and fMRI. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012, doi:10.1002/hbm.21501
Ludmer R, Dudai Y, Rubin D. Uncovering camouflage: Amygdala activation predicts long-term memory of induced perceptual insight. Neuron, 2011, 69: 1002–1014
Dietrich A, Kanso R. A review of EEG, ERP, and neuroimaging studies of creativity and insight. Psych Bull, 2010, 136: 822–848
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Rights and permissions
This article is published under an open access license. Please check the 'Copyright Information' section either on this page or in the PDF for details of this license and what re-use is permitted. If your intended use exceeds what is permitted by the license or if you are unable to locate the licence and re-use information, please contact the Rights and Permissions team.
About this article
Cite this article
Shen, W., Luo, J., Liu, C. et al. New advances in the neural correlates of insight: A decade in review of the insightful brain. Chin. Sci. Bull. 58, 1497–1511 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-012-5565-5
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-012-5565-5