There was a popular joke 30 years ago that the brains of people who think a lot are the cheapest because they are used too often. It seems to give the idea that like a car, the more the brain is used, the less valuable it will be because the brain is “already broken”.
But the reality of science is 180 degrees different from this joke. A group of researchers from Europe and South America published a study that found that the ability to speak more than one language can slow down the aging process of the brain.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Center for Cognition, Brain and Basque Language, San Sebastián, Spain, the Latin American Brain Health Institute at Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Chile, the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Universidad de San Andres, Argentina, and the Institute for Global Brain Health at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
The brains of those who have multilingual abilities appear younger than their actual age. The ability to speak 2 languages makes the brain up to 6 years younger. This increases to 7 years if you can speak 3 languages and 13 years if you can speak 4 languages.
The earlier a language is learned and the higher the level of proficiency, the slower the brain ages. The study used magnetoencephalography (MEG) machines to measure brain activity and build a “brain aging clock” using artificial intelligence (AI). The study involved people from the Basque region, with Spanish, Basque, French and English as its native languages.
The results of the study will be used to see the effects of multilingualism on neurodegenerative patients such as Alzheimer’s. The use of complex and continuous language is thought to be a learning process that activates brain networks and maintains cognitive health.
The paper was published in the journal Nature Aging
