A recent study has revealed that speaking multiple languages may play a significant role in slowing the effects of brain aging. Researchers analyzed data from over 86,000 healthy adults aged between 51 and 90 years old across 27 European countries. Their findings suggest that multilingual individuals experience less cognitive decline as they age compared to their monolingual counterparts.
The research, conducted by a team led by Xinyu Liu, a PhD candidate at the University of Reading, utilized a machine-learning approach to assess cognitive functioning. The model evaluated various factors, including memory, movement, education levels, and health conditions, to estimate a “biobehavioral age gap.” This gap reflects the difference between an individual’s actual age and their predicted age based on cognitive and physical profiles.
Countries with high rates of multilingualism, such as Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Finland, and Malta, showed a lower likelihood of accelerated aging among their populations. In contrast, nations with fewer multilingual speakers, including the UK, Hungary, and Romania, indicated that monolingual individuals tended to appear biologically older than their actual age.
The study found that even knowing just one additional language can have a meaningful impact. However, the positive effects were even more pronounced for those fluent in multiple languages, suggesting a dose-dependent relationship where each additional language provides further protective benefits against age-related decline.
Researchers noted that this pattern was particularly evident among older adults in their late 70s and 80s. Multilingual individuals exhibited greater resilience as they aged compared to those who spoke only one language. To ensure the findings were not influenced by factors such as wealth, education, or political stability, the team accounted for numerous national variables, including air quality and migration rates. Even after these adjustments, the protective benefits of multilingualism remained consistent, indicating that the experience of speaking multiple languages contributes uniquely to cognitive health.
The mental effort required to manage multiple languages is believed to engage the brain’s executive control system. This includes processes related to attention, inhibition, and task switching. The study’s authors referenced previous research suggesting that lifelong bilingualism is associated with an increase in hippocampal volume, a critical area for memory formation. A larger hippocampus is generally correlated with improved memory and resistance to age-related degeneration and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
This comprehensive research stands out due to its scale and the integration of biological, behavioral, and environmental data to define aging. While multilingualism is not a definitive solution for preventing cognitive decline, it may represent an everyday experience that enhances the brain’s adaptability and resilience.
In summary, the findings from this study highlight the potential benefits of multilingualism not only for daily communication but also as a strategy for healthier aging. As the global population continues to live longer, understanding the factors that contribute to cognitive longevity becomes increasingly important.
This article is based on research conducted by Liu and Christos Pliatsikas, a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Reading.
