New research is finding that, in the literate and illiterate alike, dementia’s onset can be delayed by approximately 5 years with no negative side effects simply by learning to speak another language.
One third of U.S. seniors are expected to suffer from a form of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, where damaged brain cells can no longer communicate, affecting a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
However, new research is finding that, in the literate and illiterate alike, dementia’s onset can be delayed by approximately 5 years with no negative side effects simply by learning to speak another language.
This topic’s largest study was completed in a multilingual area of India. Researchers analyzed records showing at what age dementia set in for more than 600 patients. More than half were multilingual.
Bilingual activities require the brain to be in state of attention that keeps dementia at bay. According to co-author Dr. Thomas Bak, “I have to selectively activate one language and deactivate the other language. This switching really requires attention.”
Results were similar whether or not the patient could read. Researchers confirmed that factors like gender, career, environment, and education had no bearing on results.
Neuroscientist Dr. Tom Schweizer praised the study, but also cautioned, “It’s still not clear exactly how language acquisition triggers protection against dementia, or whether another kind of intense brain activity such as learning an instrument or doing puzzles could mimic the effect.”
