People who know and speak multiple languages tend to have a younger "brain age," according to a newly released study. The research also found that learning a second language at an earlier age and to a higher level of proficiency was associated with slower brain aging.
A research team led by Dr. Lucia Amoruso of the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language in San Sebastian, Spain, presented the findings at the "FENS Forum 2026" of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies, held in Barcelona, Spain, on June 6.
The human brain contains an average of 86 billion neurons. The synaptic connections through which these cells exchange signals with other neurons and other cells number between 100 trillion and 1,000 trillion. As people age, this connectivity tends to weaken, and memory and thinking speed tend to decline along with it.
The team analyzed the relationship between multilingual experience and brain connectivity among people living in Spain's Basque region. In this area, many people use two or more different languages together, including Spanish, Basque, French and English.
The researchers first measured the brain activity of 728 people of varying ages and language abilities using magnetoencephalography (MEG) to create a "brain aging clock." MEG measures the minute magnetic fields produced when brain cells are active. Using artificial intelligence (AI), the researchers calculated normal levels of brain connectivity by age, and compared actual age with estimated "brain age" in a separate group of 144 people.
The second group consisted of equal numbers of people who speak one, two, three and four languages. The comparison found that the brains of people who speak two, three and four languages were 6 years, 7 years and 13 years younger in "brain age," respectively, than those of people who speak only one language.
"People who speak more languages tended to have brains that looked younger than would be expected from their actual age," said Dr. Amoruso, who led the study. "The effect was not only related to the number of languages spoken. Higher language proficiency and earlier acquisition of a second language were also associated with a greater delay in brain aging." This means the key variable is not simply whether someone is bilingual, but the depth of their language experience.
The researchers said they had taken into account factors such as participants' age, sex and education level, adding that they could not rule out the potential influence of other factors that could affect the brain, such as lifestyle or social engagement.
