Scientists discover a brain circuit that boosts maths skills in children

Scientists have discovered a brain circuit that boosts maths skills in children and could even be targeted to improve learning. The circuit triggers an area near the back of the head known as the IPS (intraparietal sulcus), which is involved in processing figures, and is linked to the hippocampus where memories are stored. Before children can learn to add and subtract, they must learn which abstract symbol, like '4' or '6', represents which quantity, a skill also known as'number sense'. Experts know the IPS plays a role in number processing but the circuits involved in learning number sense had remained a mystery until now. Lead author Dr Hyesang Chang, of Stanford University, California, said: 'Mathematical skill development relies on number sense, the ability to discriminate between quantities.