Neurotransmitters or neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit nerve signals in the brain. Each neurotransmitter also has a number of functions. Researchers at Oxford University have studied the relationship between the levels of these specific neurotransmitters and the mathematical skills of children and young people. It was noted that the levels of excitement and inhibition in the brain are directly related to the learning process in critical periods of a child's development.

Critical periods in psychology are called a certain age at which the human brain adapts to the maximum to acquire certain skills. Different periods of a child's life are also conducive to acquiring skills of varying complexity. The study measured GABA and glutamate levels in the brains of 255 volunteers, including six-year-olds and university students. The participants underwent two mathematical tests, the results of which were compared with the level of neurotransmitters in the nervous system. The researchers found that increased GABA levels in the left intra-parietal sulcus (a layer on the upper lateral surface of the hemisphere) in young participants in the study were associated with better results in math tests. In adults, the opposite is true. That is, inhibition of the nervous system for young children helps to solve mathematical problems, but it only hinders for adults.

Participants passed math tests with a difference of one and a half years. The researchers were able to demonstrate that participants' subsequent mathematical success could be predicted from the two neurotransmitter levels at the beginning of the study.

Most previous studies on the link between GABA, glutamate, and learning have been performed in laboratory rodents. The results of these experiments cannot be directly applied to how people acquire basic school knowledge. The results of this long-term study, published in the journal PLOS Biology, show that the relationship between neuroplasty and brain stimulation and inhibition varies with age. The authors of the study note that this feature should be taken into account when developing educational programs. It was also noted that kefir helps to increase the concentration of GABA in the hippocampus, which improves memory. Decreased GABA levels in the brain have also been linked to autism.

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