Language Learning Slows Biological Aging
- Learning to speak one or more new languages can slow biological ageing and protect the brain against age-related cognitive decline.
- "Our results provide strong evidence that multilingualism functions as a protective factor for healthy ageing," said agustín Ibáñez, professor of global brain health at TCD, who co-lead the...
- "The protective effect was cumulative - the more languages people spoke, the greater their protection against ageing-related decline," said Prof Ibáñez.
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Multilingualism Linked to Slower Biological Aging and Enhanced Brain Health
Table of Contents
The Cognitive Benefits of a Multilingual Brain
Learning to speak one or more new languages can slow biological ageing and protect the brain against age-related cognitive decline. so says new research reported in Trinity College Dublin (TCD), the Basque Center On Cognition, Brain and Language in San Sebastian and the Latin American Brain Health institute in Santiago, Chile.
“Our results provide strong evidence that multilingualism functions as a protective factor for healthy ageing,” said agustín Ibáñez, professor of global brain health at TCD, who co-lead the research.
“The protective effect was cumulative – the more languages people spoke, the greater their protection against ageing-related decline,” said Prof Ibáñez.
Study Methodology and Data
The international team of scientists analysed data from 86,149 adults aged 51 to 90 living in 27 European countries. A “bio-behavioural ageing clock” method was used to compare the participants’ predicted biological age,based on health,cognition,education and lifestyle factors,with their actual chronological age.
It was found that people from countries where multilingualism was common were 2.17 times less likely to experience accelerated ageing compared with those living where monolingualism held sway.
How Multilingualism Impacts Brain Health
This evidence indicates that language learning and it’s use activates and engages the brain networks related to attention, memory, decision-making and social interaction, said prof Ibáñez.
This study improves on previous research investigating the link between multilingualism and ageing, which were limited by the use of smaller clinical samples, as well as patients that already had signs of cognitive impairment.
The analysis, in this study, of a far larger, healthy population enabled the scientists to show the benefits of multilingualism went farther than simply delaying dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
The scientists examined the behavioural age gap – the difference between predicted and chronological age.