The Neuroscience of the Flow State: Involvement of the Locus Coeruleus Norepinephrine System.

Flow, a state of full task engagement with reduced self-referential thinking, is important for performance and well-being but its neurocognitive basis is unclear. This mini-review argues that the brain's locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system, which regulates task engagement versus disengagement through different modes of norepinephrine release, may underlie flow. Both flow and the LC-NE system require a match between skill and challenge to sustain attention. Psychophysiological indicators of LC-NE activity, such as pupil diameter and arousal, are sensitive to flow, and both flow and LC-NE-mediated task engagement follow an inverted U-shape with arousal. Understanding the LC-NE system's role could unify empirical findings on flow.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Flow is a state of full task engagement that is accompanied with low-levels of self-referential thinking. Flow is considered highly relevant for human performance and well-being and has, therefore, been studied extensively. Yet, the neurocognitive processes of flow remain largely unclear. In the present mini-review we focus on how the brain's locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system may be involved in a range of behavioral and subjective manifestations of flow. The LC-NE system regulates decisions regarding task engagement vs. disengagement. This is done via different modes of baseline and stimulus-evoked norepinephrine release. We emphasize the theoretical and empirical overlap between the LC-NE system and flow. For both, a match between a person's skill and task challenge is important in order to induce high levels task-related attention. Moreover, psychophysiological indicators of LC-NE system activity, such as eye pupil diameter and arousal are also sensitive to flow states. Flow is related to arousal in an inverted U-shape. Similarly, in theories on the LC-NE system, task engagement is highest with intermediate levels of arousal. We argue that knowledge about the role of the LC-NE system in establishing the flow experience may help to gain fundamental knowledge of flow and can contribute to unifying various empirical findings on this topic.