Could Electric Brain Stimulation Make You Better at Math?
1 min read
Summary
In a study, a five-day training course teaching young adults mathematics was combined with non-invasive transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), which delivers short electrical impulses to specific areas of the brain, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex or the posterior parietal cortex.
While maths skills were improved in all participants, the really interesting discovery was that those who started with the weakest connections between the prefrontal and parietal brain areas saw the most significant gains in learning after receiving tRNS to the prefrontal cortex.
The theory is that tRNS can enhance learning by increasing the activity of underperforming neurons, helping them get closer to the point where they fire and send signals, thus “boosting” suboptimal brain activity.
While the focus of the study was on healthy high-performing university students, similar research on children with maths learning disabilities and ADHD has also shown positive results.
The hope is that personalised brain-based interventions such as tRNS could offer additional support to learners who are being left behind not because of poor teaching or personal circumstances, but because of natural differences in how their brains work.
