learning 2nd language may delay dementia

[ellenrr]

---the problem with these studies is that maybe people in the study who were bilingual also did other things that would stave off dementia - maybe they took courses, they did puzzles, who knows...
Maybe they were genetically more mentally alert and so more likely to learn a 2nd language.

Nevertheless I think this article provides interesting information, and I am certainly going to think about learning a 2nd language.

article:
Being bilingual, or learning a second language late in life, may slow down the process of mental decline and developing Alzheimer's disease.


Researchers at York University in Toronto found that people who speak more than one language are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in average 4.3 years later than monolingual patients.

"The finding of a four- to five-year delay in the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is dramatic. There are no pharmacologic interventions that have shown comparable effects,” said lead researcher Ellen Bialystok.

“Being bilingual has certain cognitive benefits and boosts the performance of the brain especially one of the most important areas known as the executive control system. We know that this system deteriorates with age but we have found at every stage of life it functions better in bilinguals. They perform at a higher level,” she added.

Learning another language earlier in life and using it more frequently delays mental decline more effectively, according to the researchers presenting their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Learning new languages, even at the age of 60, may keep the brain more active, contributing to greater cognitive reserve in almost the same way as other stimulating intellectual and social activities.

“It is rather like a reserve tank in a car. When you run out of fuel, you can keep going for longer because there is a bit more in the safety tank,” Bialystok further explained.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166022.html

[hedgehog]

1. I'm thinking, Alzheimer's destroys the links between neurons,

while learning something new build new links and adds cross-connections.

[mdmc]

2. r

[kestrel91316]

3. What happens when you then forget the whole second language, lol?

[Duer 157099]

4. Should probably have a 3rd one in reserve n/t

[whathehell]

5. Better than forgetting the first one, lol.