After receiving the current, the volunteers were taught symbols representing numbers, and then tested on how quickly they could solve problems using the symbols. In the end, the volunteers getting the electrical stimulation performed better than the volunteers receiving none. They even did better on the test six months later. Now, this single study doesn’t mean that hooking up to electrodes will solve people’s math difficulties. More studies are needed to strengthen the findings and to make sure that the procedure is safe. But the study is a hopeful sign that there may in fact be ways to lend an electrical hand to those who struggle with math.