An international team of scientists led by the University of Surrey has discovered that a form of safe, painless, and non-invasive brain stimulation could help people who are at risk of falling behind in math. The study by Roi Cohen Kadosh, PhD, and colleagues showed that the strength of certain neural connections can predict how well someone can learn math, and that applying the mild 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 math problems more efficiently.
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.
![Roi Cohen Kadosh [University of Surrey]](https://www.genengnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/low-res-18-300x200.jpeg "Roi Cohen Kadosh [University of Surrey]")
Roi Cohen Kadosh, PhD [University of Surrey]
Lead author Cohen Kadosh and colleagues reported on their findings in PLOS Biology, in a paper titled “Functional connectivity and GABAergic signaling modulate the enhancement effect of neurostimulation on mathematical learning.”
Academic learning has profound implications for individuals and society at large, the authors wrote. However, not all individuals benefit equally from educational opportunities, a phenomenon known as the Matthew effect in education. “This cognitive disparity is a significant societal issue, exacerbating inequalities in learning and perpetuating gaps in education, which, in turn, limit access to future resources and opportunities,” the team stated. Mathematical learning in particular can present a considerable barrier for many people, they continued.
When it comes to cognitive skills such as reading and math, early advantages tend to compound over time. Mathematical abilities, however, seem to plateau from childhood to adulthood, raising the possibility that innate brain characteristics might shape academic outcomes independently of external factors like socioeconomic status. “Longitudinal studies suggest that mathematical abilities are relatively stable from childhood through adulthood, driven primarily by biological rather than environmental factors,” the investigators stated. They further pointed out that neurobiological research has highlighted involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the posterior parietal cortex, and the hippocampus in mathematical learning.
For their reported study and to better understand the neurobiology of mathematical learning, the authors measured connection strength between these brain regions in 72 participants undertaking a five-day math learning task. While solving math problems that required either calculating a solution or rote memorization, participants received weak electrical stimulation to either the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which plays an important role in executive function and calculations; the posterior parietal cortex, which is associated with memory recall; or a placebo. The scientists also used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure two brain chemicals, glutamate and GABA, that hint at the brain’s current capacity for learning and change.
![3D volume, generated manually by the authors in CONN, depicting the four frontoparietal seeds (left dlPFC, right dlPFC, left PPC, right PPC) as well as the right and left frontoparietal connectivity that was used in the functional connectivity analyses. [Zacharopoulos G et al., 2025, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)]](https://www.genengnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/low-res-17-271x300.jpeg "3D volume, generated manually by the authors in CONN, depicting the four frontoparietal seeds (left dlPFC, right dlPFC, left PPC, right PPC) as well as the right and left frontoparietal connectivity that was used in the functional connectivity analyses. [Zacharopoulos G et al., 2025, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)]")
3D volume, generated manually by the authors in CONN, depicting the four frontoparietal seeds (left dlPFC, right dlPFC, left PPC, right PPC) as well as the right and left frontoparietal connectivity that was used in the functional connectivity analyses. [Zacharopoulos G et al., 2025, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)]
Brain scans indicated that individuals with stronger brain connectivity between the dlPFC and the posterior parietal cortex performed better in math learning tasks. The researchers then demonstrated that delivering a form of brain stimulation known as transcranial random noise stimulation (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 math learning from childhood to adulthood, including A-level education.
“Taken together, these findings suggest that the key causal effect of connectivity on learning is rooted in the dlPFC,” the team stated. “The enhancement effect of those with predicted poorer calculation learning raises the possibility that tRNS has a ‘scaling up’ effect that can release the brakes due to suboptimal brain activity to support learning.”
The authors suggest that their results hint at the viability of using brain stimulation to aid math learning in people struggling with biological disadvantages. “Our results provide important considerations for future individual-specific brain stimulation interventions aimed at enhancing academic learning in typically developing adults or those who suffer from learning difficulties,” they also pointed out.
The study identified a complex relationship between neurochemistry, brain plasticity, and communication between regions associated with executive function and memory. Future studies, the investigators suggest, should more deeply examine these relationships, and test whether a neurostimulation approach like this could help people outside of the lab.
In their paper the team concluded, “Our multimodal approach elucidates the causal role of the dlPFC and frontoparietal network in a critical academic learning skill, shedding light on the interplay between functional connectivity and GABAergic modulation in the efficacy of brain-based interventions to augment learning outcomes, particularly benefiting individuals who would learn less optimally based on their neurobiological profile.
Cohen Kadosh, Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey, said, “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.”
The post Electrical Stimulation of Prefrontal Cortex Boosts Math Performance appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
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.
Roi Cohen Kadosh, PhD [University of Surrey]
Lead author Cohen Kadosh and colleagues reported on their findings in PLOS Biology, in a paper titled “Functional connectivity and GABAergic signaling modulate the enhancement effect of neurostimulation on mathematical learning.”
Academic learning has profound implications for individuals and society at large, the authors wrote. However, not all individuals benefit equally from educational opportunities, a phenomenon known as the Matthew effect in education. “This cognitive disparity is a significant societal issue, exacerbating inequalities in learning and perpetuating gaps in education, which, in turn, limit access to future resources and opportunities,” the team stated. Mathematical learning in particular can present a considerable barrier for many people, they continued.
When it comes to cognitive skills such as reading and math, early advantages tend to compound over time. Mathematical abilities, however, seem to plateau from childhood to adulthood, raising the possibility that innate brain characteristics might shape academic outcomes independently of external factors like socioeconomic status. “Longitudinal studies suggest that mathematical abilities are relatively stable from childhood through adulthood, driven primarily by biological rather than environmental factors,” the investigators stated. They further pointed out that neurobiological research has highlighted involvement of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the posterior parietal cortex, and the hippocampus in mathematical learning.
For their reported study and to better understand the neurobiology of mathematical learning, the authors measured connection strength between these brain regions in 72 participants undertaking a five-day math learning task. While solving math problems that required either calculating a solution or rote memorization, participants received weak electrical stimulation to either the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which plays an important role in executive function and calculations; the posterior parietal cortex, which is associated with memory recall; or a placebo. The scientists also used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure two brain chemicals, glutamate and GABA, that hint at the brain’s current capacity for learning and change.
3D volume, generated manually by the authors in CONN, depicting the four frontoparietal seeds (left dlPFC, right dlPFC, left PPC, right PPC) as well as the right and left frontoparietal connectivity that was used in the functional connectivity analyses. [Zacharopoulos G et al., 2025, PLOS Biology, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)]
Brain scans indicated that individuals with stronger brain connectivity between the dlPFC and the posterior parietal cortex performed better in math learning tasks. The researchers then demonstrated that delivering a form of brain stimulation known as transcranial random noise stimulation (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 math learning from childhood to adulthood, including A-level education.
“Taken together, these findings suggest that the key causal effect of connectivity on learning is rooted in the dlPFC,” the team stated. “The enhancement effect of those with predicted poorer calculation learning raises the possibility that tRNS has a ‘scaling up’ effect that can release the brakes due to suboptimal brain activity to support learning.”
The authors suggest that their results hint at the viability of using brain stimulation to aid math learning in people struggling with biological disadvantages. “Our results provide important considerations for future individual-specific brain stimulation interventions aimed at enhancing academic learning in typically developing adults or those who suffer from learning difficulties,” they also pointed out.
The study identified a complex relationship between neurochemistry, brain plasticity, and communication between regions associated with executive function and memory. Future studies, the investigators suggest, should more deeply examine these relationships, and test whether a neurostimulation approach like this could help people outside of the lab.
In their paper the team concluded, “Our multimodal approach elucidates the causal role of the dlPFC and frontoparietal network in a critical academic learning skill, shedding light on the interplay between functional connectivity and GABAergic modulation in the efficacy of brain-based interventions to augment learning outcomes, particularly benefiting individuals who would learn less optimally based on their neurobiological profile.
Cohen Kadosh, Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey, said, “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.”
The post Electrical Stimulation of Prefrontal Cortex Boosts Math Performance appeared first on GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.