A new study has found that gently stimulating specific areas of the brain using safe, low-level electric currents could help young adults improve their ability to solve math problems.
The research, conducted by a team at the University of Surrey in the UK and published in PLOS Biology, shows evidence that invasive brain stimulation could improve problem-solving abilities, especially in people whose brain networks are less naturally connected for learning.
Also Read | Study finds teens who sleep more perform better and have healthier brains
The technique, known as transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), involves applying painless electrical currents to the scalp to influence brain activity. The researchers focused on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region behind the forehead and linked to learning, memory, and attention.
Seventy-two adults between the ages of 18 and 30 took part in a five-day math training program. The participants were split into three groups: one received tRNS targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, another received stimulation to the posterior parietal cortex (a region involved in processing sensory information), and the third group received a placebo or “sham” stimulation.
Brain scans during the study revealed that participants who had stronger natural connectivity between the two brain regions, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the posterior parietal cortex, performed better on math tasks. But notably, for participants whose brain regions were less naturally connected, electrical stimulation to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex significantly improved their learning and performance.
Researchers also found that improvements were associated with lower levels of GABA, a brain chemical involved in memory stabilisation. Lower GABA levels in the targeted brain region may make it more receptive to learning during the stimulation period.
Lead researcher Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh said the results emphasise the need to consider brain biology in education. “Efforts to improve math performance often focus on external factors like teaching and curriculum,” he noted. “But our study shows the brain’s wiring plays a critical role, and we can potentially support learning by targeting it directly.”
While prior studies have linked the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the posterior parietal cortex to math learning, this new research offers evidence that these areas play a causal role and that targeted stimulation could offer a new path for personalised learning interventions.
