Speaking 2 languages may delay getting Alzheimer’s

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Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

Never learned to habla or parlez? While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient you become, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning – as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

But does that mental juggling while you’re young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you’re old?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual – they’ve spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don’t need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That’s pretty constant activity.

That’s not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they don’t confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.

Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they’d never heard – English and French – but with the sound off. By measuring the tots’ attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers’ facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes.

«It looks like French people are always kissing,» she joked, while the English «th» sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.

Whatever the cues, monolingual babies couldn’t tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.

But what if you weren’t lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don’t give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people don’t have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what’s called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That’s the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble.

«If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active,» she said.

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Speaking 2 languages may delay getting Alzheimer’s

Escrito por

Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

Never learned to habla or parlez? While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient you become, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning – as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

But does that mental juggling while you’re young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you’re old?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual – they’ve spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don’t need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That’s pretty constant activity.

That’s not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they don’t confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.

Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they’d never heard – English and French – but with the sound off. By measuring the tots’ attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers’ facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes.

«It looks like French people are always kissing,» she joked, while the English «th» sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.

Whatever the cues, monolingual babies couldn’t tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.

But what if you weren’t lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don’t give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people don’t have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what’s called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That’s the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble.

«If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active,» she said.

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Speaking 2 languages may delay getting Alzheimer’s

Escrito por

Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

Never learned to habla or parlez? While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient you become, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning – as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

But does that mental juggling while you’re young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you’re old?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual – they’ve spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don’t need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That’s pretty constant activity.

That’s not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they don’t confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.

Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they’d never heard – English and French – but with the sound off. By measuring the tots’ attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers’ facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes.

«It looks like French people are always kissing,» she joked, while the English «th» sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.

Whatever the cues, monolingual babies couldn’t tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.

But what if you weren’t lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don’t give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people don’t have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what’s called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That’s the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble.

«If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active,» she said.

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Speaking two languages may delay Alzheimer’s

Escrito por

Mastering a second language can pump up the brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient the person becomes, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning — as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

Does that mental juggling in youngsters translate into protection against cognitive decline when in older people?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual; they have spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms do not become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one that is not needed, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That is pretty constant activity.

That is not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they do not confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.

Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they’d never heard — English and French — but with the sound off. By measuring the tots’ attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers’ facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes.

«It looks like French people are always kissing,» she joked, while the English «th» sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.

Whatever the cues, monolingual babies could not tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.

But what about people who were not lucky enough to have been raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that they do not give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people do not have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what is called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That is the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep the brain nimble.

«If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active,» she said.

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Speaking 2 languages may delay getting Alzheimer’s

Escrito por

Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

Never learned to habla or parlez? While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient you become, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning — as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

But does that mental juggling while you’re young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you’re old?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual — they’ve spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don’t need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That’s pretty constant activity.

That’s not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they don’t confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.

Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they’d never heard — English and French — but with the sound off. By measuring the tots’ attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers’ facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes.

«It looks like French people are always kissing,» she joked, while the English «th» sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.

Whatever the cues, monolingual babies couldn’t tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.

But what if you weren’t lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don’t give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people don’t have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what’s called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That’s the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble.

«If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active,» she said.

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Speaking 2 Languages May Delay Getting Alzheimer’s

Escrito por

Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

Never learned to habla or parlez? While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient you become, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning – as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

But does that mental juggling while you’re young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you’re old?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual – they’ve spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don’t need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That’s pretty constant activity.

That’s not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they don’t confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.

Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they’d never heard – English and French – but with the sound off. By measuring the tots’ attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers’ facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes.

«It looks like French people are always kissing,» she joked, while the English «th» sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.

Whatever the cues, monolingual babies couldn’t tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.

But what if you weren’t lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don’t give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people don’t have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what’s called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That’s the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble.

«If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active,» she said.

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“Asesinatos de la CIA en Pakistán con aviones no tripulados”, conferencia en la UGR

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  • Tendrá lugar en el Colegio Mayor San Bartolomé y Santiago (C/ San Jerónimo, 31), el martes, 22 de febrero, a las 22 horas

“Asesinatos de la CIA en Pakistán con aviones no tripulados” es el título de la conferencia que impartirá el profesor de la Universidad de Granada Javier Jordán Enamorado.

La conferencia tendrá lugar en el Colegio Mayor San Bartolomé y Santiago (C/ San Jerónimo, 31), el martes, 22 de febrero, a las 22 horas.

Javier Jordán es profesor titular del departamento de Ciencia Política y de la Administración de la Universidad de Granada. Es director del Curso de Especialización en Estudios Estratégicos y Seguridad Internacional de la Universidad de Granada, y codirector del Curso de Especialización en terrorismo yihadista, insurgencia y movimientos radicales en la Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Sevilla) y del Máster Oficial en Estudios sobre Terrorismo y Antiterrorismo de la Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. Asimismo, imparte docencia en el Curso de Especialización sobre Servicios de Inteligencia del Instituto Universitario “General Gutiérrez Mellado” y en el Experto en Criminalidad y Seguridad Pública del Instituto Andaluz Interuniversitario de Criminología.

Actividad:

  • Conferencia: “Asesinatos de la CIA en Pakistán con aviones no tripulados”
  • A cargo de: Javier Jordán
  • Lugar: Colegio Mayor San Bartolomé y Santiago (C/ San Jerónimo, 31)
  • Día: Martes, 22 de febrero de 2011
  • Hora: 22 horas
  • Organiza: Colegio Mayor San Bartolomé y Santiago
  • Entrada: Libre, hasta completar el aforo

Contacto: Javier Jordán Enamorado. Departamento de Ciencia Política y de la Administración de la UGR. Tfn: 958 244121. Correo electrónico: jjordan@ugr.es

Speaking 2 languages may delay getting Alzheimer’s

Escrito por

Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

Never learned to habla or parlez? While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient you become, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning — as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

But does that mental juggling while you’re young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you’re old?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual — they’ve spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don’t need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That’s pretty constant activity.

That’s not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they don’t confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.

Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they’d never heard — English and French — but with the sound off. By measuring the tots’ attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers’ facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes.

«It looks like French people are always kissing,» she joked, while the English «th» sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.

Whatever the cues, monolingual babies couldn’t tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.

But what if you weren’t lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don’t give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people don’t have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what’s called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That’s the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble.

«If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active,» she said.

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Bilingualism May Help Keep Alzheimer’s at Bay

Escrito por

Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

The new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, and the more proficient you become, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto. Scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning — as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

But does that mental juggling while you’re young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you’re old?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual — they’ve spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

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The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don’t need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That’s pretty constant activity.

That’s not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they don’t confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.

Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they’d never heard — English and French — but with the sound off. By measuring the tots’ attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers’ facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes.

«It looks like French people are always kissing,» she joked, while the English «th» sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.

Whatever the cues, monolingual babies couldn’t tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.

But what if you weren’t lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don’t give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people don’t have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what’s called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That’s the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble.

«If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active,» she said.

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Speaking second language may delay onset of Alzheimer’s

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Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease later on, scientists said Friday.

Never learned to habla or parlez? While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient you become, the better, but «every little bit helps,» said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better «executive control,» a system key to higher functioning — as Bialystok puts it, «the most important part of your mind.»

But does that mental juggling while you’re young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you’re old?

Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer’s patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual — they’ve spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.

The bilingual patients had Alzheimer’s symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of
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the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer’s disease from striking. But once the disease begins its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

«They’ve been able to cope with the disease,» she said.

Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.

What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?

Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don’t need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That’s pretty constant activity.

But what if you weren’t lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.

Partly that’s because adults’ brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don’t give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.

At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university’s Center for Advanced Study of Language.

But people don’t have to master a new language to benefit to some degree, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what’s called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That’s the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts.

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Research Says Preterm Mums’ Milk Has Less Antioxidants

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Preterm mother’s milk contains lower concentrations of coenzyme Q10-an important antioxidant and a vital component of the electron transport chain, a new study has said.

Researchers at the University of Granada and at the University Hospital San Cecilio took a sample of 30 nursing mothers, of which 15 had completed their gestation and 15 were preterm mothers.

This study counted with the participation of a group of researchers of the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology Jose Mataix, and with the collaboration of the Department of Pediatrics of the University Hospital San Cecilio of Granada, Spain.

The main objective of this study was to analyze the presence of coenzyme Q10 in breast milk and to examine variation in Q10 concentrations in the three stages of breast milk (colostrum, transitional and mature milk). The second goal was to determine whether the milk of mothers at term and that of preterm mothers have different Q10 concentrations.

For the study, participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their eating habits, which was processed later with software developed by the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology ‘Jose Mataix’, of the University of Granada.

The milk samples were examined to measure -among other parameters- concentrations of coenzyme Q, tocopherol (isomers a, g and d) and the total antioxidant capacity of breast milk.

The study found that CoQ10 concentrations in mothers at term are 75 percent higher than in preterm mothers. Similar results were obtained regarding tocopherol.

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Latte di mamma povero se il bambino nasce prima

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Il latte delle mamme che hanno messo alla luce bambini pretermine, non ha lo stesso contenuto di antiossidanti. Brutte notizie per i nati pretermine. Non solo per ovvi motivi la loro salute è precaria, ma anche la stessa mamma non riesce ad aiutare il proprio piccolo come dovrebbe per mezzo dell’allattamento. Tutto ciò sarebbe dovuto al fatto che il latte delle mamme di questi bambini non conterebbe sufficienti quantità dell’enzima Q10, un prezioso antiossidante utile al trasporto di elettroni.

Per arrivare a tale conclusione i ricercatori hanno coinvolto 30 mamme che allattavano al seno, di cui 15 avevano messo al mondo bambini regolarmente, mentre le altre hanno dato luce a bambini pretermine.

Lo studio, condotto dall’ Università di Granada e l’ospedale universitario di San Cecilio (Spagna), ha voluto valutare la presenza del coenzima Q10 nelle varie fasi latte materno (colostro, latte di transizione e maturo) e capire se la concentrazione era uguale nei bambini nati a termine e pretermine. Quando sono stati esaminati i campioni di latte sono stati presi in considerazione anche altri fattori come la quantità di tocoferolo e la capacità antiossidante totale del latte.

Durante la ricerca, le mamme hanno compilato alcuni questionari sulle loro abitudini alimentari. Tutte le informazioni sono poi state elaborate con un software sviluppato dall’Istituto di Nutrizione e Tecnologia Alimentare ‘Jose Mataix’, dell’Università di Granada.

Al termine dello studio si è potuto notare come le concentrazioni di coenzima Q10 fossero più elevate, addirittura del 75% in più, nelle madri di bambini nati a termine. Allo stesso modo, anche il tocoferolo era molto più alto.

«Avere una profonda comprensione dei fattori e dei componenti del latte materno è fondamentale, in quanto può aiutare a raggiungere una migliore formula di latte per neonati. In questo modo, anche se un neonato non può beneficiare di latte materno, almeno gli sarà data la possibilità di poppare artificialmente beneficiando degli stessi vantaggi del latte materno», spiegano gli autori dello studio.

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