Neural Mechanisms of Creative Problem Solving: From Representational Change to Memory Formation

Abstract

SummaryDespite the need for innovative solutions to contemporary challenges, the neural mechanisms driving creative problem-solving still remain largely unknown. We focused on the powerful creative process of insight, wherein rapid knowledge reorganization and integration—termed representational change—yield solutions that evoke suddenness, positive emotion, and enduring memory. We posit that this process manifests as abrupt shifts in activation patterns within brain regions housing solution-relevant information, including the visual cortex for visual problems, alongside regions linked to feelings of emotion, suddenness and subsequent memory. Our findings substantiate these hypotheses, revealing sudden representational changes in visual cortex, conjoined with activations in the amygdala and hippocampus—forming an interconnected network. Importantly, the representational change and hippocampal effects serve as predictive markers of subsequent memory. This study provides the foremost clear evidence of an integrated insight mechanism and its lasting memory influence. Implications extend to education, emphasising the significance of discovery-based learning approaches for boosting knowledge retention.