A new study by the University of Surrey reveals that safe, non-invasive brain stimulation can significantly improve math problem-solving skills in adults, offering new hope for those struggling with math learning.
Safe, painless and non-invasive brain stimulation could help individuals prone to falling behind in math, a new study led by the University of Surrey indicates.
Published in the journal PLOS Biology, the study found that applying safe electrical currents to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) — a brain region integral to learning, focus, and problem-solving –allowed adults aged 18 to 30 to solve math problems more efficiently.
Seventy-two healthy adults participated in a five-day math training program, with 24 subjects receiving transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to the dlPFC, another 24 receiving tRNS over the posterior parietal cortex, and the remaining 24 receiving a placebo treatment.
This setup enabled the researchers to compare the effects of brain stimulation in different regions against a control group.
The results showed that tRNS over the dlPFC significantly enhanced learning outcomes for individuals with lower natural brain connectivity between the dlPFC and the posterior parietal cortex — a neurobiological feature associated with poorer learning. Brain scans confirmed that participants with stronger connectivity between these areas performed better in math tasks.
The researchers also discovered that improvements were associated with reduced levels of GABA, a brain chemical implicated in learning.
The same team had previously established the role of GABA in math learning from childhood through to A-level education.
Lead author Roi Cohen Kadosh, the head of the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey, explained the significance of these findings.
“So far, most efforts to improve education have focused on changing the environment — training teachers, redesigning curricula — while largely overlooking the learner’s neurobiology. Yet, a growing body of research has shown that biological factors often explain educational outcomes in mathematics more powerfully than environmental ones,” he said in a news release. “By integrating insights from psychology, neuroscience and education to develop innovative techniques that address these neurobiological constraints, we can help more people reach their potential, broaden access to diverse career pathways and reduce long-term inequalities in income, health and well-being.”
The findings suggest a biological foundation for the “Matthew effect,” where early educational advantages lead to continued success, while others fall behind. Targeted brain stimulation could potentially bridge this gap.
Source: University of Surrey