メディエイゴ

Canadian scientists have found astonishing⁽¹⁾ evidence that the lifelong use of two languages can help delay the onset⁽²⁾ of dementia⁽³⁾ symptoms by four years compared to people who are monolingual⁽⁴⁾.
There has been much interest and growing scientific literature⁽⁵⁾ examining how lifestyle factors⁽⁶⁾ such as physical activity⁽⁷⁾, education and social engagement⁽⁸⁾ may help build “cognitive reserve⁽⁹⁾” in later years of life⁽¹⁰⁾. Cognitive reserve refers to⁽¹¹⁾ enhanced⁽¹²⁾ neural plasticity⁽¹³⁾, compensatory⁽¹⁴⁾ use of alternative⁽¹⁵⁾ brain regions⁽¹⁶⁾, and enriched⁽¹⁷⁾ brain vasculature⁽¹⁸⁾, all of which are thought to provide a general protective function against⁽¹⁹⁾ the onset of dementia symptoms.?
Now scientists with the Rotman Research Institute at the Baycrest Research Centre for Aging and the Brain have found the first evidence that another lifestyle factor, bilingualism⁽²⁰⁾, may help delay dementia symptoms. The study is published in the February 2007 issue of Neuropsychologia (Vol. 45, No. 2).

“We are pretty dazzled by⁽²¹⁾ the results,” says principal investigator⁽²²⁾ Ellen Bialystok, Ph.D., whose research team at Baycrest included psychologist⁽²³⁾ Dr. Fergus Craik, a world authority⁽²⁴⁾ on age-related changes in⁽²⁵⁾ memory processes⁽²⁶⁾, and neurologist⁽²⁷⁾ Dr. Morris Freedman, an eminent⁽²⁸⁾ authority on understanding the mechanisms underlying⁽²⁹⁾ cognitive impairment⁽³⁰⁾ due to diseases such as Alzheimer’s.