A recent study, published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, delved into how speaking multiple languages might affect our brains as we get older. Researchers Aparna Venugopal and colleagues, looked at a large group of people living in an urban area in India and uncovered an interesting finding: those who spoke more than one language tended to have better memory and thinking skills in older age. They found that bilingual people – those who can speak two languages – were less likely to have Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia compared to those who only spoke one language. Even if someone only spoke a little of a second language, it still seemed to contribute to reducing the risk of cognitive decline.
The study also showed that it did not matter if some-one spoke two languages or more – there were no differences found between the prevalence of MCI and dementia in those who spoke two languages compared to those who spoke three languages or more. The study authors explain that speaking more than one language might be beneficial for the brain particularly because switching between languages may keep people’s brains active and more flexible, and thereby help increase ‘neuronal plasticity’. This mental exercise could also help build a ‘reserve’ in our brains, which might protect from cognitive decline as people get older. Interestingly, this study was conducted in India, where many people naturally speak more than one language, suggesting that growing up in a bilingual environment could benefit our brains in the long run. It is worth highlighting that the study has a few shortcomings.
Firstly, people’s rating of their language skills might not have been entirely accurate, because it was based on their own assessment. Additionally, the researchers only looked at one point in time when measuring cognitive health and bilingualism. For future research, the study authors therefore recommend using more objective measures of language proficiency and conducting longitudinal studies to better understand the long-term effects that speaking multiple languages may have on brain health. See the study, here:
https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/alz.13702