Being fluent in a second language may delay dementia, according to Scottish scientists.
A new neurological report by Edinburgh University academics revealed that fluency in two or more languages could postpone the onset of the debilitating condition.
Dr Thomas Bak said: “These findings suggest that bilingualism might have a stronger influence on dementia than any currently available drugs.”
According to the study, carried out jointly by the Scottish facility and Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India, people who are bilingual tend to develop the disease up to five years later than those who speak one language.
The study examined 650 dementia sufferers, regardless of education, age or occupation, and pinpointed when each had developed the neurological condition.
Of those examined, people who spoke two or more languages experienced Alzheimer’s disease later on in life.
Dr Bak added that the findings could have implications for bilingual Gaelic speakers. He said: “My prediction would be that we would find that the onset of dementia would be delayed compared to that of a monolingual person in Scotland.”
