REM, not incubation, improves creativity by priming associative networks

Denise J. Cai; Sarnoff A. Mednick; Elizabeth M. Harrison; Jennifer C. Kanady; Sara C. Mednick

doi:10.1073/pnas.0900271106

Edited by Thomas D. Albright, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, and approved May 4, 2009 (received for review January 13, 2009)

Abstract

The hypothesized role of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is rich in dreams, in the formation of new associations, has remained anecdotal. We examined the role of REM on creative problem solving, with the Remote Associates Test (RAT). Using a nap paradigm, we manipulated various conditions of prior exposure to elements of a creative problem. Compared with quiet rest and non-REM sleep, REM enhanced the formation of associative networks and the integration of unassociated information. Furthermore, these REM sleep benefits were not the result of an improved memory for the primed items. This study shows that compared with quiet rest and non-REM sleep, REM enhances the integration of unassociated information for creative problem solving, a process, we hypothesize, that is facilitated by cholinergic and noradrenergic neuromodulation during REM sleep.

Footnotes

¹To whom correspondence should be addressed at:
University of California at San Diego, Laboratory of Sleep and Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, 9116a, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093.
E-mail: smednick{at}ucsd.edu
Author contributions: D.J.C., S.A.M., and S.C.M. designed research; D.J.C., E.M.H., and J.C.K. performed research; D.J.C. and S.C.M. analyzed data; and D.J.C., S.A.M., E.M.H., J.C.K., and S.C.M. wrote the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.
↵* Dallob PI, Dominowski RL (April, 1993) Erroneous Solutions to Verbal Insight Problems: Effects of Highlighting Critical Material. Paper presented at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Portland, OR.

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