The neural substrates that contribute to creative thinking through the recruitment of semantic memory structures remain largely unknown. This study sought to investigate the properties of semantic networks using a semantic judgment rating task at the individual level and explore the relationship among creative abilities, the topological properties of semantic networks, and their underlying brain structures. We first used a semantic judgment rating to assess individual semantic networks and computed their topological properties. The analysis confirmed a significant correlation between the creative thinking abilities assessed by an alternate uses task and all three topological properties. In addition, voxel-based morphometry was employed to assess the neural correlates of gray matter volume (GMV) related to different topological properties of the semantic network. Results revealed a positive correlation between global efficiency and the left temporal pole cortex, considered to be involved in semantic information transmission and processing. Furthermore, mediation analysis found that the global efficiency of the individual semantic network mediated the association between the left temporal pole GMV and creative thinking, showing that the relationship between left temporal pole GMV and creative thinking may be affected by the semantic networks. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to combine a behavioral investigation of semantic networks with magnetic resonance imaging to shed light on the cerebral structural basis of semantic memory networks, in addition to their relationship to creativity.

中文翻译：

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左颞极通过个体语义网络促进创造性思维

通过招募语义记忆结构来促进创造性思维的神经基质在很大程度上仍然未知。本研究试图在个体层面使用语义判断评级任务来研究语义网络的特性，并探索创造性能力、语义网络的拓扑特性及其潜在的大脑结构之间的关系。我们首先使用语义判断等级来评估单个语义网络并计算它们的拓扑属性。分析证实了替代使用任务评估的创造性思维能力与所有三个拓扑属性之间的显着相关性。此外，基于体素的形态计量学被用来评估与语义网络的不同拓扑特性相关的灰质体积 (GMV) 的神经相关性。结果显示，全局效率与左颞极皮层呈正相关，被认为参与了语义信息的传输和处理。此外，中介分析发现，个体语义网络的全局效率在左侧颞极GMV与创造性思维之间的关联中起到中介作用，表明左侧颞极GMV与创造性思维之间的关系可能受到语义网络的影响。据我们所知，