Bilingualism Helps Prevent Alzheimer’s
More and more studies affirm that bilingualism represents a means of delaying or preventing Alzheimer’s disease. In this sense, a Canadian study reveals that bilingualism generates changes in the structure of the brain. These changes are linked to resistance to Alzheimer’s disease. And with a slight cognitive deficit.
Previous studies have uncovered interesting information on this subject. One of them, published in the journal Neurology in 2013, tells us that being able to speak two languages could delay the onset of Alzheimer’s by 4.5 years. The researchers who carried out this study also argued that bilingualism may contribute to the development of certain areas of the brain that control executive function. They involve basic psychological processes such as attention.
While these studies are only at a hypothetical stage, another, carried out later, relied on information gathered through magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain regions associated with memory that the it is known to be affected in people with Alzheimer’s as well as its precursor, mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
According to the researchers behind this study, it was the first to assess the areas of the brain responsible for language and cognition. But also who also established a link between the appearance of these areas and the functioning of memory in a group of people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
As part of this experiment, the researchers examined the brains as well as the memory function of:
- 34 multilingual participants with mild cognitive impairment
- 34 monolingual participants with DCL
- 13 multilingual participants with Alzheimer’s disease
- 13 monolingual participants with Alzheimer’s disease
It is important here to point out that the researchers observed what are called the median temporal lobes, which are essential in the formation of memory. As well as the frontal areas of the brain. They explain that in the areas related to cognitive and language control, multilingual patients with DCL as well as those with Alzheimer’s disease had a larger cortex than that of monolingual people who participated in this experiment. The results replicated to a large extent among native Canadian participants with CDL. This therefore allowed immigration to be dismissed as a potential confounding factor.
Thus, this study supports the hypothesis consisting in believing that speaking two languages is a protective factor of certain specific brain regions. And that it can increase the cortical size as well as the density of gray matter. In addition, it has also demonstrated that these structural differences can be observed in the brains of multilingual patients with Alzheimer’s. Or a mild cognitive impairment.
In addition, the results obtained contribute to the study which indicates that speaking more than one language is one of the lifestyle factors that improve cognitive reserve. It is a kind of drawer where the brain’s ability to meet a challenge is stored. Based on knowledge of alternative ways of performing a task.
We must here make a special mention of the benefits of bilingualism on the brain to allow you to understand even more precisely why it is so important to improve the functions of this organ.
- Bilingualism helps prevent dementia. Bilingual adults with Alzheimer’s have symptoms appear twice as long as monolinguals. The average age at which the first signs of dementia appear in monolingual adults is 71.4. Against 75.5 among bilinguals.
- Bilingualism helps to focus on the tasks at hand. Bilingual people show greater concentration in their tasks than monolingual people. They are indeed more adept at focusing on important information.
- Bilingualism makes it possible to alternate tasks. Bilinguals are experts at moving from one system to another, which makes them experts at multitasking.
- Bilingualism improves cognitive skills. Bilingual people keep their brains alert and active, even when they only use one language.
- Bilingualism increases the density of gray matter. Gray matter is responsible for the language process, as well as for the storage of memory and attention. Bilingual people have a denser gray matter than monolingual people.
- Bilingualism improves memory. Learning a foreign language involves memorizing the rules and the vocabulary. This mental exercise improves general memory. Bilingual people are therefore better at remembering lists and sequences.
- Bilingualism improves decision-making skills. Bilingual people tend to make more reasonable decisions. In addition, they are more sure of their choices after having thought in their second language.
- Bilingualism improves knowledge of the mother tongue. The second language focuses on grammar and sentence structure. Therefore, bilingual speakers are more aware of language in general. Learning a foreign language makes bilingual speakers more effective communicators, editors and writers.
As we have just seen, being bilingual has many more benefits beyond those which may seem obvious. For example, improving the CV or the possibility of communicating effectively when traveling abroad or receiving people from other countries. There is no doubt that it is worth a try.
Our thoughts It has been proven that far from compromising learning, bilingualism is beneficial to it. The advantages of bilingualism are obvious.
