Brain scans revealed artistic talent could be innate

Many former players are tapping into their artistic side after the game. Events like the NFLPA's Smocks and Jocks at the Super Bowl provide a stage for former players to showcase their talents. Let us know if you've been creating art since leaving the NFL.

Apr. 18, 2014 Cognifit

Have you ever heard people say that they tend to be more of a right-brain or left-brain thinker? From books to television programs, youve probably heard the phrase mentioned numerous times or perhaps youve even taken an online test to determine which type best describes you. Turns out were neither; new research shows we should be looking at the size of our neural matter instead.

The research, published in NeuroImage on March 29th, 2014, suggests that artistic talent could be innate. Researchers reported that training and environmental upbringing also play crucial roles in their ability.

The research finds greater neural matter among visual artists in areas related to fine motor movements and visual imagery. The people who are better at drawing really seem to have more developed structures in regions of the brain that control for fine motor performance and what we call procedural memory, explained one of the lead scientists, Rebecca Chamberlain from KU Leuven, Belgium.