Aesthetic appreciation correlates positively with putamen and inferior temporal gyrus.

In recent years, the effects of art on the human brain and cognitive function have been attracting attention. However, the relationship between the brain structure of healthy middle-aged people and artistic activity remained unclear. In this study, a cross-sectional analysis of 73 middle-aged men and women who considered themselves healthy revealed that gray matter volume (GMV) of the putamen and inferior temporal gyrus correlated with aesthetic appreciation measured by questionnaire. This is the first study to show that art may connect to more people's brain structures than previously thought.