14 DAY TRIAL // Evidence presented in a recent paper in the journal Annals of Neurology indicates that those who take the time to learn a second language – maybe even a third or a fourth one – are less vulnerable to cognitive decline due to aging.
What's more, it appears that being able to speak a second language benefits the brain regardless of whether this ability was acquired while an individual was still young or during their later years, EurekAlert informs.
According to Dr. Thomas Bak with the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, bilingualism first and foremost benefits a person's general intelligence and reading skills. Besides, it might help keep dementia at bay.
As detailed in the journal Annals of Neurology, bilingualism was found to benefit the aging brain even in the case of individuals whose innate baseline cognitive functions were not all that impressive. This is despite claims that better baseline cognitive functions facilitate bilingualism to begin with.
“These findings are of considerable practical relevance. Millions of people around the world acquire their second language later in life. Our study shows that bilingualism, even when acquired in adulthood, may benefit the aging brain,” says Dr. Thomas Bak.