As I Suspected All Along [GRIN!]

In the life of a professor, one of the things you never have enough time for is reading the current literature in your field. Below I post an abstract of an article published last year that I find quite valuable [also see my specific comments on the article, below]:

Abstract of:

Kurup,R.K., and Kurup, P.A., 2003. Hypothalamic digoxin, hemispheric chemical dominance, and creativity. International Journal of Neuroscience, 4:565-577.

The human hypothalamus produces an endogenous membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase inhibitor, digoxin, which regulates neuronal transmission. The digoxin status and neurotransmitter patterns were studied in creative and non-creative individuals, as well as in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance, in order to find out the role of cerebral dominance in this respect. The activity of HMG CoA reductase and serum levels of digoxin, magnesium, tryptophan catabolites, and tyrosine catabolites were measured in creative/non-creative individuals, and in individuals with differing hemispheric dominance. In creative individuals there was increased digoxin synthesis, decreased membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, increased tryptophan catabolites (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and decreased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). The pattern in creative individuals correlated with right hemispheric dominance. In non-creative individuals there was decreased digoxin synthesis, increased membrane Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity, decreased tryptophan catabolites (serotonin, quinolinic acid, and nicotine), and increased tyrosine catabolites (dopamine, noradrenaline, and morphine). This pattern in non-creative individuals correlated with that obtained in left hemispheric chemical dominance. Hemispheric chemical dominance and hypothalamic digoxin could regulate the predisposition to creative tendency.


MY COMMENTS: The above article is not surprising, but a comforting addition to what is already understood. Namely, nicotine is a compound that helps to promote creativity! The related compounds that are produced in the brain are at higher levels in those deemed more creative than in the less creative.

This work further confirms the old psychological/physiological work that suggests tobacco indulgers are more creative than in the abstainer, and helps to show how the endogenous system works and how we may exogenously encourage further creativity.

And, also keep in mind that pipe tobacco is the purest, least processed, and most pleasantly robust methodology for ingesting nicotine (and is a helluva lot of fun to boot) and you also get further confirmation for the high correlation (even in these days of rabid anti-tobacco furvor) between male professors and pipe smoking!

Ta dah!

PipeTobacco