Multilingualism linked to slower brain ageing, study finds

A study presented at a neuroscience conference reports that speaking more languages is associated with younger-appearing brains. Using magnetoencephalography and AI to estimate brain age, researchers analyzed 728 participants and a second group of 144, finding that each additional language and earlier second-language acquisition correlate with a smaller brain-age, up to about 13 years younger for those fluent in four languages. While the study accounted for age, sex and education, experts caution that lifestyle and other factors could influence the results, though the findings support language-learning as a potential strategy for maintaining brain health.