A study presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies conference in Barcelona suggests that multilingualism correlates with younger-appearing brains at the neurological level. Researchers found that individuals speaking two languages exhibited brain activity patterns consistent with those six years younger, while those fluent in three languages showed patterns matching those seven years younger, and four-language speakers displayed patterns approximately thirteen years younger than monolingual individuals.
The research involved scientists from institutions in Spain, Chile, Argentina, and Dublin who studied brain connectivity in the Basque region, known for high multilingual proficiency. Using magnetoencephalography technology, researchers measured brain activity in 728 participants across varying ages and linguistic abilities. They employed artificial intelligence to calculate expected brain connectivity levels for different ages, then compared these baseline measurements against a second group of 144 individuals representing one-, two-, three-, and four-language speakers.
Dr. Lucia Amoruso from the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language noted that the protective effects extended beyond merely speaking multiple languages. Earlier acquisition of additional languages and higher proficiency levels both contributed to delayed brain aging patterns. The findings suggest a gradient effect rather than a simple binary distinction between monolingual and multilingual individuals.
Researchers acknowledged methodological limitations, noting they controlled for age, sex, and education but could not definitively exclude other influences such as lifestyle choices and social engagement. Neuroscientist Prof. Christina Dalla from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens supported the findings, emphasizing their implications for educational policy and lifelong learning initiatives.
However, Prof. Eef Hogervorst from Loughborough University cautioned against definitive conclusions, suggesting that multilingual individuals may simultaneously engage in other protective activities such as reading, musical training, or lifelong learning, making it difficult to isolate language learning as the sole contributing factor to observed neurological differences.
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