Summary: New research from the University of Surrey shows that a safe, non-invasive form of brain stimulation can enhance mathematical learning in young adults who have lower natural connectivity between key brain regions. Participants who received high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) improved more during a five-day maths training program than those who received placebo stimulation or stimulation over a different brain area.
The benefits were most pronounced in individuals with weaker baseline functional connectivity between the dlPFC and the posterior parietal cortex (PPC). Improvements in learning were also associated with reductions in GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that influences neural plasticity and learning capacity.
Key Facts:
- Targeted brain boost: High-frequency tRNS to the dlPFC enhanced math learning in people who had lower natural frontoparietal connectivity.
- GABA connection: Learning gains correlated with lower dlPFC GABA levels, consistent with a role for excitation/inhibition balance in learning.
- Educational equity: These findings suggest brain-based interventions could help reduce persistent math learning gaps and support fairer educational outcomes.
Source: University of Surrey
Safe, painless, non-invasive brain stimulation could help people at risk of falling behind in mathematics, according to a new controlled study led by researchers at the University of Surrey.
Published in PLoS Biology, the study tested whether adding non-invasive electrical stimulation could improve the rate and efficiency of mathematical learning in adults aged 18 to 30. Researchers applied high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), which delivers mild, random electrical currents to the scalp, targeting areas involved in attention, working memory, and problem solving.
Seventy-two healthy adults completed a structured five-day maths training programme. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 24 received dlPFC-tRNS, 24 received PPC-tRNS, and 24 received sham (placebo) stimulation. This double-blind design allowed a direct comparison of stimulation over the dlPFC, stimulation over the PPC, and no active stimulation.
Baseline brain imaging revealed that participants with stronger positive functional connectivity between the dlPFC and the PPC generally learned mathematical calculations faster. Crucially, when researchers applied tRNS over the dlPFC, individuals with weaker baseline frontoparietal connectivity—who would otherwise be at risk of poorer learning—showed significant improvement compared with sham and PPC-stimulation groups.
The team also measured neurochemical markers and found that reductions in dlPFC GABA levels were linked to better learning outcomes when accompanied by certain connectivity changes. In other words, the neurostimulation appeared to work best for participants whose brains showed a combination of lower inhibitory neurotransmitter levels and a neurobiological profile that previously predicted poorer learning.
Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh, lead author and Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey, said the research highlights the importance of accounting for learners’ neurobiology when designing educational interventions. He noted that most educational reforms have focused on changing teaching methods and curriculum, often overlooking biological factors that affect capacity to learn. Integrating neuroscience with education could create targeted approaches that help individuals reach their potential and reduce long-term inequalities in income, health, and wellbeing.
These results provide a potential neurobiological explanation for the so-called “Matthew effect” in education, where those who begin with advantages continue to improve while others fall further behind. By selectively boosting brain function in learners whose neurobiology puts them at a disadvantage, targeted tRNS interventions may help narrow gaps in mathematical achievement.
While this study offers promising evidence that tRNS can augment mathematical learning in specific subgroups, the authors emphasize that larger trials outside the lab are needed to establish practical, scalable applications. Future research on broader and more diverse populations will be essential to determine how brain-based support could inform policy and educational practice.
Funding: The research was supported by the European Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.
About this brain stimulation and math learning research news
Author: Dalitso Njolinjo
Source: University of Surrey
Contact: Dalitso Njolinjo – University of Surrey
Image credit: Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access. “Functional connectivity and GABAergic signaling modulate the enhancement effect of neurostimulation on mathematical learning” by Roi Cohen Kadosh et al., PLOS Biology. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003200
Abstract
Functional connectivity and GABAergic signaling modulate the enhancement effect of neurostimulation on mathematical learning
Academic success in domains such as mathematics depends on sustained effort and practice, but learning outcomes are uneven and often reinforce existing advantages. Neurobiological mechanisms—particularly the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and hippocampal networks—are implicated in mathematical learning, yet their causal roles and interactions with excitation/inhibition balance remain underexplored.
This study combined double-blind high-frequency tRNS with behavioral training, functional imaging, and neurochemical measures across a five-day learning paradigm (n = 72). Participants with stronger baseline frontoparietal connectivity improved more in calculation learning. Targeted dlPFC-tRNS enhanced learning selectively for participants with weaker baseline frontoparietal connectivity, a profile linked to poorer outcomes. Changes in dlPFC GABA interacted with connectivity shifts: reductions in GABA accompanied by decreased positive frontoparietal connectivity predicted the strongest learning improvements under dlPFC-tRNS, whereas opposite patterns reversed the benefit.
These multimodal findings clarify the causal contribution of the dlPFC and frontoparietal network to mathematical learning and highlight how functional connectivity and GABAergic modulation shape the effectiveness of brain-based interventions. The results point to a precision approach that could support learners who are less likely to benefit from conventional methods due to their neurobiological profile.