Study Shows Exciting the Brain Might be Key to Boosting Maths Learning

According to a new study from the Universities of Surrey and Oxford, Loughborough University, and Radboud University in the Netherlands, activating a brain region with electrical noise stimulation may improve mathematical learning in those who struggle with the subject.
This study was published in PL0S Biology
During this unique study, researchers investigated the impact of neurostimulation on learning. Despite the growing interest in this non-invasive technique, little is known about the neurophysiological changes induced and the effect it has on learning.
Researchers found that electrical noise stimulation over the frontal part of the brain improved the mathematical ability of people whose brain was less excited (by mathematics) before the application of stimulation.

No improvement in mathematical scores was identified in those who had a high level of brain excitation during the initial assessment or in the placebo groups. Researchers believe that electrical noise stimulation acts on the sodium channels in the brain, interfering with the cell membrane of the neurons, which increases cortical excitability.
Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Surrey who led this project, said:
"Learning is key to everything we do in life - from developing new skills, such as driving a car, to learning how to code. Our brains are constantly absorbing and acquiring new knowledge.
"Previously, we have shown that a person's ability to learn is associated with neuronal excitation in their brains. What we wanted to discover in this case is if our novel stimulation protocol could boost, in other words excite, this activity and improve mathematical skills."
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