According to a study by scientist Roy Cohen Kadosh of the University of Surrey, UK, and colleagues, published in the journal PLOS Biology, the strength of certain neural connections can predict how well a person can learn math, and moderate electrical stimulation of these networks can accelerate learning.

When it comes to cognitive skills such as reading and math, early advantages tend to increase over time. However, math ability appears to decline from childhood to adulthood, raising the possibility that innate brain features may influence academic performance regardless of external factors such as socioeconomic status.

To better understand the neurobiology of math learning, the authors measured the strength of connectivity between brain regions associated with math learning when 72 participants completed a 5-day math task.

While solving math problems that required either calculating the solution or mechanical memorization, participants received weak electrical stimulation of either the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), which plays an important role in executive function and computation; the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), which is associated with memory retrieval; or a placebo. They also used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure two brain chemicals, glutamate and GABA, which indicate the brain's current ability to learn and change. The researchers found that a stronger baseline connection between dlPFC, PPC and the hippocampus - the area responsible for long-term memory and, in this context, for generalizing algorithms to solve problems - predicted better math performance when participants were asked to compute the solution, but not when they memorized it.

Individuals with weaker connections between the dlPFC and PPC areas improved computational skills after electrical stimulation of the dlPFC.

The study authors suggest that these results indicate the feasibility of using brain stimulation to teach math to people with biological disabilities.

The authors also identified a complex relationship between neurochemistry, brain plasticity, and connectivity between areas related to executive function and memory.