Use of multiple languages provides cognitive reserve amidst age-related white matter changes.

Cristina Solé-Padullés, Gabriele Cattaneo, María Cabello-Toscano, Lídia Mulet-Pons, Lídia Vaqué-Alcázar, Alba Roca-Ventura, Vanessa Alviarez-Schulze, Núria Bargalló, Javier Solana-Sánchez, Álvaro Pascual-Leone, David Bartrés-Faz

Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Recerca Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona.Departament de Medicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, and Institut de Recerca Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona. · pubmed

Paper

Abstract

Bilingualism can stimulate brain plasticity and is often associated with better executive function. We investigated whether language usage was related to the volume of white matter lesions in a cohort of middle-aged to older adults with different multilingual characteristics, including monolingualism in daily life (use of one language), bilingualism (use of two languages) and multilingualism (active use of three languages, i.e., Catalan, Spanish, English). We also explored cognitive status and cognitive change over a 2-year follow-up period linked to possible associations between language usage and white matter status to provide insights into the theory of cognitive reserve (CR).

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Research summary

The paper claims that bilingualism and multilingualism are associated with cognitive reserve and reduced white matter lesions in aging adults. This research is relevant as it explores cognitive reserve, which may contribute to healthier aging and longevity by potentially mitigating age-related cognitive decline.

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