Brain Plasticity in Response to Creativity Training with Music Composing

MUDr. Anna ARKHIPOVA, BFA

Disertační práce

Abstract:

The aim of this PhD thesis is to investigate brain plasticity in response to musical cognitive training aimed at promoting creativity. First, the thesis describes definitions and classification of creativity and training, then introduces the Different Hearing Program (DHP) workshop that was employed as creativity training in the project. Subsequent text deals with measurements of creativity, history of creativity neuroscience and the neural correlates of creativity, followed by reviewing of the cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of brain plasticity associated with cognitive training/learning in creativity. Other methods and studies aiming at enhancement of creativity are also reviewed. Then, possible integration of the learning studies with neural correlates of creativity is discussed. Second, the materials and methods, along with the results from two original studies, are described in detail. In this project, fMRI data was acquired twice from healthy young adult participants before and after the short-term DHP workshop, as well as from the age-matched control group with the same time interval. In the first study, differences in behavioral (esthetical) perception as well as differences in task-related brain fMRI activation before and after the workshop were assessed. In the second study, changes in resting-state functional connectivity before and after the workshop were investigated. We detected changes in the behavioral and brain response to diverse sound samples, differentially changing the engagement of functional networks known to be related to creative thinking. On the other hand, the resting-state fMRI data analysis revealed no significant group-by-time interaction within the networks of interest. Finally, the discussion places the above-mentioned findings within the current scientific literature, considers the limitations of the study, and outlines future directions for our study and for creativity training research more broadly. In conclusion, our findings suggest that DHP seems effective to broaden sound and music preferences and perception, as reflected in both behavior and brain function. This PhD thesis demonstrates brain plasticity induced by musical creativity training and has the potential to inspire future research direction of neuroscientific studies in creativity.

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 9. 2. 2026

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 27. 3. 2026
• Vedoucí: prof. Ing. MUDr. Petr Hluštík, Ph.D.

UNIVERZITA PALACKÉHO V OLOMOUCI

Lékařská fakulta

Doktorský studijní program / obor:
Neurovědy / Neurovědy