Preventing Prefrontal Dysfunction by tDCS Modulates Stress-Induced Creativity Impairment in Women: An fNIRS Study

Abstract

Stress is a major external factor threatening creative activity. The study explored whether left-lateralized activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) manipulated through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could alleviate stress-induced impairment in creativity. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to explore the underlying neural mechanisms. Ninety female participants were randomly assigned to three groups that received stress induction with sham stimulation, stress induction with true stimulation (anode over the left dlPFC and cathode over the right dlPFC), and control manipulation with sham stimulation, respectively. Participants underwent the stress or control task after the tDCS manipulation, and then completed the alternative uses task to measure creativity. Behavioral results showed that tDCS reduced stress responses in heart rate and anxiety. The fNIRS results revealed that tDCS alleviated dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) under stress, as evidenced by higher activation of the dlPFC and frontopolar cortex, as well as stronger inter-hemispheric and intra-hemispheric functional connectivity within the PFC. Further analysis demonstrated that the cortical regulatory effect prevented creativity deficiencies induced by stress. The findings validated the hemispheric asymmetry hypothesis regarding stress and highlighted the potential of brain stimulation for intervention in stress-related mental disorders and enhancement of creativity.