Neurotechnology reverses biological disadvantage in maths learning

Safe, painless, and non-invasive brain stimulation could help people who are at risk of falling behind in maths, according to a new study led by the University of Surrey.

The study, published in PLoS Biology, found that applying safe electrical currents to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) – a region involved in learning and memory, focus, and problem-solving – helped people aged 18 to 30 solve maths problems more efficiently.

Seventy-two healthy adults took part in a five-day maths training programme – 24 received a form of brain stimulation known as transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) to the dlPFC, 24 received tRNS over the posterior parietal cortex and 24 received a placebo (sham) version of the treatment. This allowed researchers to compare the effects of tRNS in different brain regions against a placebo group.

The study showed, via brain scans, that individuals with stronger brain connectivity between the dlPFC and the posterior parietal cortex performed better in maths learning tasks. They then demonstrated that tRNS over the dlPFC significantly improved learning outcomes for individuals with lower natural brain connectivity between this region and the posterior parietal cortex – a neurobiological profile associated with poorer learning.

Improvements were also linked to lower levels of GABA – a brain chemical involved in learning. The same research team has previously shown that GABA plays a role in maths learning from childhood to adulthood, including A-level education.

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. 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 wellbeing. Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh, Head of School of Psychology and Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience

These findings point to a biological basis for the ‘Matthew effect’ – the tendency for those who start ahead in education to continue advancing, while others fall further behind. The study suggests that targeted brain stimulation could help bridge this gap.

As the UK looks to boost maths skills across the population, especially in young adults, this basic research, and future research on larger samples outside the lab, could help shape future policies by showing how tailored support, focusing on brain activity, might make learning fairer and more effective.

The study was funded by the European Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

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Prof Roi Cohen Kadosh

Head of School of Psychology and Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience

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