Bilingualism can make the brain more efficient, especially when learned at a young age

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to make connections within itself, adapting to the environment. The brain is more plastic during childhood, forming new pathways in response to stimuli such as language.

Previous research has shown that learning a second language can have a positive effect on attention, healthy aging, and even recovery from brain injury. A new study from the Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University, the University of Ottawa and the University of Zaragoza in Spain expands on the role of bilingualism in cognition, demonstrating increased effectiveness of communication between regions of the brain.

The work is published in the journal Communication biology.

The scientists recruited 151 participants who spoke French, English, or both languages, and recorded the age at which they learned their second language. Participants were scanned using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to record whole-brain connectivity, rather than focusing on specific regions as has been done in previous studies of the bilingualism.

The fMRI analyzes revealed that bilingual participants had increased connectivity between brain regions than monolingual participants, and this connectivity was stronger in those who learned their second language at a younger age. This effect was particularly strong between the cerebellum and the left frontal cortex.

The findings mirror previous studies that have shown that brain regions do not operate in isolation, but interact with others to understand and produce language. Research has also shown that whole-brain efficiency promotes cognitive performance.

This latest study reveals more about how bilingualism influences the brain connections we use to think, communicate and experience the world around us.

“Our work suggests that learning a second language during childhood contributes to building a more efficient brain organization in terms of functional connectivity,” explains Zeus Gracia Tabuenca, first author of the article. “The results indicate that the earlier the experience of a second language, the larger the brain areas involved in neuroplasticity. This is why we observe higher connectivity of the cerebellum with the cortex during early exposures to a second language.”