Research Suggests Multilingual Experience May Offset Age-Related Brain Changes

Scientists have discovered that people who speak more than one language may have brains that appear younger than expected for their age. The study, presented at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) Forum 2026, sheds light on the relationship between multilingualism and brain aging.

The brain is a complex network of billions of nerve cells constantly communicating with one another. As people get older, those connections can weaken, contributing to slower thinking and declines in memory. However, the new findings suggest that multilingual experience may help offset some of these age-related changes.

Researchers from the Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language in San Sebastián, Spain, worked with colleagues from the Latin American Brain Health Institute at the Universidad Adolfo Ibañez, Chile, the Cognitive Neuroscience Center at the Universidad de San Andres, Argentina, and the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. They studied 728 people and created a ‘brain aging clock’ using magnetoencephalography, a method that detects the faint magnetic fields produced when brain cells are active.

Artificial intelligence was then used to analyze patterns of brain activity across people of different ages, allowing the researchers to estimate what typical brain connectivity looks like at different points in life. They applied the clock to a separate group of 144 people to estimate each person’s ‘brain age.’

The results showed a striking pattern: people who spoke two languages had brains that appeared about six years younger than those of people who spoke only one language. Those who spoke three languages had brains that appeared about seven years younger. Among people who spoke four languages, the difference grew to roughly 13 years.

Dr. Lucia Amoruso, the lead researcher, explained: ‘In simple terms, people who spoke more languages tended to have brains that looked younger than expected for their chronological age. The effect was not only related to the number of languages spoken, but also to higher language proficiency and earlier acquisition of a second language.’

The researchers adjusted their analysis for factors such as age, sex, and education, but cautioned that other influences on brain health, including lifestyle and social engagement, could also contribute to the differences they observed.

The study’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of brain aging and the potential benefits of language learning. Dr. Amoruso and her colleagues now want to investigate whether similar patterns appear in people with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, where brain aging and resilience are particularly important.

Professor Christina Dalla, chair of the FENS Forum communication committee, emphasized the importance of language learning for brain health: ‘There are many good reasons for learning another language at any age – social, cultural, and for the health of your brain. We should support language learning at school and throughout life.’

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Fogarty International Center, and the Multi-partner Consortium to Expand Dementia Research in Latin America (ReDLat). Additional support was provided by the Alzheimer’s Association, the Global Brain Health Institute, the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, Alzheimer’s Society UK, FONDECYT, and the Ramón y Cajal fellowship through the Spanish State Research Agency.

The study’s findings highlight the potential benefits of language learning for brain health and resilience. As we continue to explore the complex relationships between language, brain, and aging, we may uncover new ways to support healthy aging and cognitive function.