University of Alberta research: Being bilingual keeps your mind sharp as you age

Treatment for Dementia: Knowing more than one language might help keep your brain healthy as you age, according to Tanya Dash, an assistant professor and cognitive neuroscientist at the University of Alberta.

Dash, specialising in speech-language pathology and cognitive neuroscience, works with older adults and stroke survivors to explore the connection between language and brain function. She uses behavioural assessments and neuroimaging methods to study how language interacts with attention, memory, and executive functions.

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“Language plays a key role in everyday communication and activities,” says Dash. “When someone suffers a stroke or has a neurodegenerative disease, the effects on language are more noticeable.”

Dash explains that damage to the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes can impair the ability to understand or produce language, leading to conditions like aphasia and dementia. Symptoms vary widely among individuals, meaning no two people experience the same language difficulties.

The silver lining for bilingual individuals is that they may have some protection against these conditions. “Research shows that bilingualism can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms by up to five years,” Dash notes. “However, there’s an ongoing debate about whether bilingualism reduces the risk of developing dementia or slows its progression once it appears.”

Dash is working on studies to answer these questions and determine which aspects of bilingualism might be most beneficial. Some studies suggest that bilingual stroke survivors experience milder symptoms and better recovery prospects.

Bilingualism also helps with cognitive ageing, a natural decline in brain performance due to age. Dash points out that cognitive abilities peak in your 20s and 30s, with noticeable changes starting around age 50 and becoming more prominent by age 60. These changes can affect memory, attention, and executive function, making everyday tasks more challenging.

To combat cognitive ageing, Dash recommends building a “cognitive reserve,” similar to saving money for retirement or exercising to stay fit. “Activities like education, certain occupations, and leisure activities help build cognitive reserve, and we believe bilingualism contributes as well,” she says.

Bilingual people constantly switch between languages, training their cognitive system and strengthening their brain’s language control network. This ongoing practice can help protect the brain from age-related decline, making bilingual individuals perform similarly to their younger counterparts.

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Learning a new language later in life can also provide cognitive benefits, even for those who didn’t grow up bilingual. “The brain’s response might differ based on when and how you learn the second language, but the positive impact on cognitive performance remains,” Dash explains.

In summary, speaking multiple languages enhances communication skills and offers significant cognitive advantages, helping keep the mind sharp as we age. Continue reading Education Post News for additional stories like this.