title: Neural pathway in the right hemisphere underlies verbal insight problem solving.
abstract: Verbal insight problem solving means to break mental sets, to select the novel semantic information and to form novel, task-related associations. Although previous studies have identified the brain regions associated with these key processes, the interaction among these regions during insight is still unclear. In the present study, we explored the functional connectivity between the key regions during solving Chinese 'chengyu' riddles by using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results showed that both insight and noninsight solutions activated the bilateral inferior frontal gyri, middle temporal gyri and hippocampi, and these regions constituted a frontal to temporal to hippocampal neural pathway. Compared with noninsight solution, insight solution had a stronger functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus in the right hemisphere. Our study reveals the neural pathway of information processing during verbal insight problem solving, and supports the right-hemisphere advantage theory of insight.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Adolescent CyberPsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China.
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Adolescent CyberPsychology and Behavior (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province, School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China. Electronic address: zhouzj@mail.ccnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: MRI Center of Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. Electronic address: xuhaibo1120@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: MRI Center of Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D012660:Semantics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: BOLD; Chinese ‘chengyu’ riddle; EPI; LHIPP; LIFG; LMTG; RHIPP; RIFG; ROI; RTMD; SPM; blood oxygenation level dependent; echo planar imaging; fMRI; functional connectivity; functional magnetic resonance imaging; insight; left hippocampus; left inferior frontal gyrus; left middle temporal gyrus; region of interest; right hemisphere; right hippocampus; right inferior frontal gyrus; right middle temporal gyrus; statistical parametric mapping