Health

Multilingualism linked to younger brain aging patterns in new study

Researchers using brain imaging and machine learning find speaking multiple languages correlates with delayed brain aging.

Updated Aug 24, 2026 · 00:33 UTC1 reports

The short version

A study presented at the FENS Forum 2026 indicates that speaking multiple languages correlates with younger-looking brain connectivity patterns.
Using a magnetoencephalography and artificial intelligence aging clock, researchers observed that people speaking four languages had brain activity patterns appearing roughly 13 years younger than monolinguals.
Higher fluency and earlier language learning were also linked to greater reductions in estimated brain age.
Researchers plan to examine whether these neuroprotective associations apply to populations with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Lucia Amoruso and an international research team developed a 'brain aging clock' using magnetoencephalography and artificial intelligence trained on 728 individuals before testing a separate cohort of 144 people in Spain's Basque region.[ScienceDaily]
Compared to monolinguals, speakers of two languages had brains estimated to be approximately six years younger, three-language speakers appeared seven years younger, and four-language speakers appeared about 13 years younger.[ScienceDaily]
The study adjusted for age, sex, and education, finding that earlier acquisition and higher proficiency in additional languages amplified the delayed aging association.[ScienceDaily]

Researchers note that unmeasured lifestyle factors, including general social engagement, may contribute to the differences in brain aging metrics alongside multilingualism.[ScienceDaily]
It remains unverified whether these brain resilience patterns occur in individuals diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, or if switching between closely related languages yields distinct effects.[ScienceDaily]