An article by Alzheimer’s Research UK has highlighted a study by scientists in Italy, which suggests that being bilingual could be beneficial in delaying Alzheimer’s, due to an increase in ‘cognitive reserve’.
Earlier studies had shown how those that speak more than one language tend to show signs of dementia later than others speaking only their native language. This delayed onset is believed to be around four and half years.
It has been proposed that this is due to the fact that bilingual people have a greater cognitive reserve – meaning their brains are more resilient to Alzheimer’s and associated degenerative disorders.
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, the new study “studied a group of 85 people with mild Alzheimer’s disease (disease duration <3 years), 45 of whom were classed as bilingual and used German and Italian daily due to where they live in Northern Italy. The volunteers underwent brain scans to measure energy usage in their brains and tests of their memory and thinking skills. They also completed a language background questionnaire from which a bilingualism index was calculated, which provided a measure of the extent to which each person used language each day”.
Researchers found that the bilingual individuals tested were averagely 5.71 years older, with fewer years of formal education than their counterparts, but actually performed better throughout the memory and thinking tests.
In individuals with Alzheimer’s, the brain shows damage in key areas which leads to a reduction of energy the brain can effectively use within these areas. However, those participants that were bilingual showed even lower energy use in these areas.
Conversely, the bilingual subjects’ brains had an increase of energy in other parts of the brain, those undamaged or unaffected by the Alzheimer’s, and also had greater brain connectivity.
In other words, the bilingual subjects’ brains were able to bypass the less effective parts, thus compensating for the damage which had occurred due to the disease. The greatest benefit was found to be in those individuals that were lifelong bilingual, those who had used both German and Italian equally each day throughout their life.
Dr David Reynolds, Chief Scientific Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said, “Cognitive reserve is thought to explain why some people’s brains are more resilient to damage than others, and there is increasing evidence that being bilingual throughout life could increase our cognitive reserve. This new study looked at people with mild Alzheimer’s who are lifelong bilinguals and use two languages, German and Italian, in their daily lives in Northern Italy. While other studies have indicated that bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia symptoms, this study goes further, showing that there are differences in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s who are fully bilingual that could explain why they are resilient to damage.”
He continued stating, “It’s important to note that these benefits were seen in people who use two languages on a daily basis throughout their lives, so the findings can’t be extended to those who are non-fluent and occasionally speak a second language. The findings lend weight to the theory that keeping the brain active may provide a form of cognitive reserve, helping to delay the onset of symptoms as diseases like Alzheimer’s develop. In addition to keeping mentally active, the best current evidence shows that not smoking, eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise, only drinking in moderation and keeping blood pressure and cholesterol in check can all help to keep our brains healthy as we age.”
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