Study Shows Bilingualism Slows Dementia Onset

Researchers find that probable Alzheimer's patients who speak two languages get dementia four years later than their peers

Speaking two languages delays the onset of memory lapses, neural dysfunction in the brain, in particular demential , a study found.

Researchers in Canada, where the official languages are English and French, examined 132 patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease.

It appears that having learnt and speak two languages or more may delay the onset of neural deterioration as compared to those who did not, the researchers wrote in a study published in the February issue of the journal Neuropsychologia.

The patients spoke 25 different languages, including Polish, Yiddish, German, Romanian and Hungarian.

Previous studies have shown that lifestyle factors such as physical activity, social involvement and education may improve overall brain health.

Bilingualism may help the brain build what is called a cognitive reserve, which may provide protection against the onset of dementia, the Canadian researchers said.

"There are no pharmacological interventions that are this dramatic," said Dr Morris Freedman, director of the Memory Clinic at Baycrest Research Centre for Ageing and the Brain in Toronto, in a statement today.

The difference in dementia onset remained even after the researchers factored in the possible influence of culture, immigration, formal education, employment and gender on the results, the study said.

"The data show a huge protective effect," said co-investigator Fergus Craik in the statement. The research so far is consistent with that of other countries where speaking two or more languages in the population shows less people in the population have problems with dementia. Asian countries like Singapore where the Chinese citizens are not only fluent in English and Mandarin, they are also adept at the oher dialects of the Chinese languages (of which there are four main Chinese dialects), in addition to the Malay and Indian languages. Most if not all on this tiny island can speak at least two languages. it is therefore not surprising that such countries have comparatively lower rates of dementia per capita population.

No doubt learning two languages is also consistent with other research findings where learning new mental skills can have a beneficial effect. Mental hobbies like dong crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, or even a game of poker or Mahjong have been shown to reduce dementia in the population. Social work studies have also shown that older citizens who participate actively in the community not only stay young physically, they are more alert and stay sharp mentally. Senior citizens can participate in programs that impart skills to the younger generation. For instance, if you are a good swimmer, have baking or cooking skills, you can participate in your community to teach young adults or young children to swim, bake a cake or cookies or cook a meal. You can also check out the local library if there is a position open for story telling to young kids. If there isn't, why not start a program where you can participate in a story-telling sessions certain days of the week?

The finding, while in line with earlier research on lifestyle and dementia onset, is preliminary and needs to be studied further, he added

The researchers are working on a follow-up study to further examine the protective effects of bilingualism on the brain.

While the research findings are encouraging, many people, especially in the North American continent, Australia and New Zealand do not speak any other languages other than English. This despite recent techniques that have been uncovered that make it easy to learn two or more languages. With the globalisation comes the importance of learning other languages in emerging economies like Chinese and Russian. If you have an Italian or Spanish neighbor, friend or colleague, why not learn a few words or phrases from him or her today and everyday? Apart from forming closer ties and friendships, it will also come in useful if you decide to visit their country of origin one day. Either way, it will be a rewarding experience for everyone.

Learning two languages will no doubt help anyone appreciate the other cultures, besides the medical benefit of staving off dementia and AD.