Abstract
Long-term management of more than one language has been argued to contribute to changes in brain and cognition. This has been particularly well documented in older age, where bilingualism has been linked to protective effects against neurocognitive decline. Since memory difficulties are key aspects of this decline, herein we examine potential effects of bilingualism on the hippocampus, a brain structure related to memory that is particularly vulnerable to cognitive ageing. Hippocampal volume has been shown to increase as a result of second language learning and use in younger adults. However, it is unknown if this is maintained throughout the lifespan. We examine hippocampal volume and episodic memory performance in a participant sample consisting of healthy older individuals with a wide range of experiences in exposure and using a second language. Results reveal greater hippocampal volume calibrated to degree of quantified dual language use. Our results mirror those of immersive active bilingualism in younger populations, suggesting that long-term active bilingualism leads to neuroprotective effects in the hippocampus. We discuss this in the context of literature proposing bilingualism-induced brain reserve in the older age.
Highlights
Bilingualism has been shown to be a lifestyle enrichment factor correlating with greater neural plasticity across the lifespan, at least under conditions of active and sustained engagement
With regard to neuroanatomy in older age, bilingualism has been associated with greater grey matter volume and white matter integrity across brain structures involved in bilingual language control, language learning, and language processing (Anderson et al 2018a, b; Duncan et al 2018; Gold et al 2013)
Model 3 revealed that, while the effects of education, and episodic memory performance remained significant, bilingualism composite score (BCS) emerged as a unique contributor to the hippocampal volume, with higher BCS being positively associated with hippocampal volume
Summary
Bilingualism has been shown to be a lifestyle enrichment factor correlating with greater neural plasticity across the lifespan, at least under conditions of active and sustained engagement (see Pliatsikas 2020 for review) Or indirectly, these outcomes are hypothesised to be a consequence of increased demands for executive and language control needed to manage more than one linguistic system in a single mind/brain (e.g., Grundy et al 2017). With regard to neuroanatomy in older age, bilingualism has been associated with greater grey matter volume and white matter integrity across brain structures involved in bilingual language control, language learning, and language processing (Anderson et al 2018a, b; Duncan et al 2018; Gold et al 2013). There is a general variability in cognitive ageing trajectories across
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