Second language use rather than second language knowledge relates to changes in white matter microstructure

Maschio, Nicola Del; Sulpizio, Simone; Toti, Michelle; Caprioglio, Camilla; Mauro, Gianpaolo Del; Fedeli, Davide

doi:10.1007/s41809-019-00039-z

Cited by 26 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…For instance, individuals with early bilingual experience tend to also have higher L2 proficiency (Luk, De Sa, & Bialystok, 2011), despite the fact that in some cases these two variables can differently modulate the pattern of brain activation during lexical retrieval of the two languages (Perani et al, 2003). Also, language usage, more than language proficiency, modulates white matter in the brain areas related to language control, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (Del Maschio et al, 2019); in other cases, both language proficiency and age of L2 acquisition strongly predict the density of grey matter in the left inferior parietal cortex (Mechelli et al, 2004). Interestingly, beyond the realm of language, age of L2 acquisition and language proficiency have been shown to be the two main factors that enhance EC efficiency, as shown in tasks of conflict monitoring (Luk, De Sa, & Bialystok, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active bilingualism delays the onset of mild cognitive impairment

et al. 2020

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Lifelong bilingualism may contribute to cognitive reserve (CR) in neurodegenerative diseases as shown by a delay of the age at symptom onset in bilinguals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). However, some studies have failed to show this bilingual advantage, suggesting that it might depend on the type and degree of bilingualism. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that active bilingualism, defined as the continuous use of the two languages as opposed to second language exposition only, may protect against cognitive decline. Moreover, we investigated whether bilingualism as a CR factor may be explained by an advantage within the executive control (EC) system. To do so, we collected clinical measures (age at onset of cognitive symptoms, age at the first medical visit for cognitive impairments, and age at diagnosis) in patients with MCI and patients with AD with different degrees of language experience and usage of Catalan and Spanish. Additionally, all participants were tested on four EC tasks and one long-term memory recognition task. First, results from multiple regression analyses showed that active bilingualism was a significant predictor of delay in the age at onset for all the clinical measures in MCI, but not AD patients. Second, the effect of active bilingualism was independent of occupation, educational level and job attainment across the individuals' lifespan. Finally, although we did not find an effect of active bilingualism across all EC tasks, we did find an effect for conflict resolution. These results are discussed in the context of CR hypotheses, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms may play a role in protecting against cognitive decline.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active bilingualism delays the onset of mild cognitive impairment

et al. 2020

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“…Given these premises and in line with the recent trends in bilingual research (e.g., Del Maschio, Sulpizio, Toti, Caprioglio, Del Mauro, Fedeli & Abutalebi, 2019; DeLuca, Rothman, Bialystok & Pliatsikas, 2019; Hervais-Adelman et al, 2018), we designed and conducted a study aimed at filling these gaps. Here, we operationalized the main aspects of bilingual experience (i.e., L2 AoA, exposure and proficiency) as continuous variables in an attempt to further investigate the effects of bilingualism on cognition and neuroplasticity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Individual differences in bilingual experience modulate executive control network and performance: behavioral and structural neuroimaging evidence

et al. 2020

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Dual/multiple language use has been shown to affect cognition and its neural substrate, although the replicability of such findings varies, partially due to neglecting the role of interindividual variability in bilingual experience. To address this, we operationalized the main bilingual experience factors as continuous variables, investigating their effects on executive control performance and neural substrate deploying a Flanker task and structural magnetic resonance imaging. First, higher L2 proficiency predicted better executive performance. Second, neuroimaging results indicated that bilingualism-related neuroplasticity may peak at a certain stage of bilingual experience and eventually revert, possibly following functional specialization. Importantly, experienced bilinguals optimized behavioral performance independently of volumetric variations, suggesting a degree of performance gain even with lower GMV. Hence, the effects of bilingualism on cognition may evolve with experience, with improvements in functional efficiency eventually replacing structural changes. We conclude that individual differences in bilingual experience modulate cognitive and neural consequences of bilingualism.

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“…Experienced bilingual young adults, by contrast, generally do not show differences in cortical thickness or volume as compared to monolinguals (Pliatsikas 2019 ). Somewhat different patterns have been observed in older (and typically longer term) bilingual adults, who generally show (in comparison to age-matched monolinguals) greater grey matter volumes in similar cortical as well as subcortical regions, in addition to greater white matter integrity, again mainly in the same tracts that are found to change in younger adult bilinguals (Luk et al 2011 ; Abutalebi et al 2014a , b ; Olsen et al 2015 ; Anderson et al 2018 ; Borsa et al 2018 ; Del Maschio et al 2019 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of bilingualism on brain development from early childhood to young adulthood

et al. 2020

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Bilingualism affects the structure of the brain in adults, as evidenced by experience-dependent grey and white matter changes in brain structures implicated in language learning, processing, and control. However, limited evidence exists on how bilingualism may influence brain development. We examined the developmental patterns of both grey and white matter structures in a cross-sectional study of a large sample (n = 711 for grey matter, n = 637 for white matter) of bilingual and monolingual participants, aged 3-21 years. Metrics of grey matter (thickness, volume, and surface area) and white matter (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity) were examined across 41 cortical and subcortical brain structures and 20 tracts, respectively. We used generalized additive modelling to analyze whether, how, and where the developmental trajectories of bilinguals and monolinguals might differ. Bilingual and monolingual participants manifested distinct developmental trajectories in both grey and white matter structures. As compared to monolinguals, bilinguals showed: (a) more grey matter (less developmental loss) starting during late childhood and adolescence, mainly in frontal and parietal regions (particularly in the inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis, superior frontal cortex, inferior and superior parietal cortex, and precuneus); and (b) higher white matter integrity (greater developmental increase) starting during mid-late adolescence, specifically in striatal-inferior frontal fibers. The data suggest that there may be a developmental basis to the well-documented structural differences in the brain between bilingual and monolingual adults.

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Second language use rather than second language knowledge relates to changes in white matter microstructure

Cited by 26 publications

References 58 publications

Active bilingualism delays the onset of mild cognitive impairment

Active bilingualism delays the onset of mild cognitive impairment

Individual differences in bilingual experience modulate executive control network and performance: behavioral and structural neuroimaging evidence

The effect of bilingualism on brain development from early childhood to young adulthood

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