[Photo by Zhendong Wang on Unsplash]
December 1, 2025 (Monday) – Dongmin Lee
A major international team led by neuroscientist Agustín Ibáñez of Adolfo Ibáñez University has published new evidence that multilingualism may slow biological brain aging. The findings, released in Nature Aging, suggest that knowing more than one language significantly reduces the risk of accelerated cognitive decline in later life.
Researchers examined data from 86,000 adults across 27 European countries, using machine-learning models to calculate each person’s “biobehavioral age,” a measure that includes daily functioning, memory, movement, education, and health conditions.
Biobehavioral age refers to a person’s functional age rather than their birthday age. For example, someone may be 75 years old but show strong memory, quick problem-solving skills, and healthy mobility, giving them a younger biobehavioral age. In contrast, someone who struggles with memory or daily tasks may show an older biobehavioral age even if they are relatively young.
The results showed a clear pattern: adults who spoke two or more languages were about half as likely to show signs of accelerated aging compared to monolingual speakers. The effects were strongest among people in their late 70s and 80s. Moreover, the study found a dose-dependent effect, the more languages someone used, the greater the protective benefit. A protective benefit means that multilingualism appears to shield the brain from faster aging, lowering the chance of experiencing early cognitive decline.
The geographic patterns supported the findings. Luxembourg, where residents commonly use French, German, and Luxembourgish in daily life, showed some of the lowest signs of accelerated aging. Malta, a country with two official languages—Maltese and English—also demonstrated slower biobehavioral aging. These multilingual environments contrast with nations that have less everyday language switching.
To determine whether the results were driven by broader national conditions, the researchers implemented control variables including air quality, education, migration patterns, gender inequality, and political climate. Even after these adjustments, multilingualism remained a strong predictor of slower aging.
The research team suggests that lifelong language use functions as a form of continuous cognitive training. Because all languages keep the brain mentally active, it must constantly select one language while suppressing others, thereby strengthening systems related to attention, inhibition, and task switching.
Neuroscience studies help explain this mechanism. Brain-imaging research shows increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex when bilinguals switch between languages. Previous structural studies have also linked long-term multilingual experience to larger hippocampal volume, a region crucial for memory and especially vulnerable to aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
What makes this new study notable is its scale and comprehensive approach. Instead of relying on cognitive tests alone, researchers integrated biological, lifestyle, and socioeconomic information to create a more accurate profile of aging. Across nearly every measure, multilingual adults showed healthier aging patterns. Healthier aging patterns matter because they are linked to lower risks of dementia, better independence in daily life, and improved overall wellbeing in older adulthood.
Scientists emphasize that multilingualism is not a cure for aging, but the findings indicate that regular language use may help the brain stay more resilient over time. Additional research on language switching shows that disengaging one language before activating another creates sustained cognitive demand, which may help explain the neural resilience seen in older multilingual adults.
As many high-income-nations experience rapidly ageing populations , researchers hope these results will encourage policymakers to expand opportunities for language learning, including for older adults. While multilingualism cannot eliminate age-related changes entirely, the study concludes that it may be a practical and accessible tool for keeping the brain younger for a longer period.
Dongmin Lee
Grade 10
Seoul Scholars International
Written on December 1, 2025 (Monday)
