Blood clot in the brain. Source: American Heart Association.
Bilingual patients are twice as likely as those who speak one language to have normal cognitive functions after a stroke, according to a study published in the journal Stroke, of the American Heart Association.
Previous research found out that bilingualism may delay the onset of Alzheimer.
The new study, informs the Association in a press release, was carried out at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Science (NIMS) in Hyderabad (India). Researchers reviewed the records of 608 patients that had suffered a stroke during the period 2006-13. More than half of the patients were bilingual (they spoke two or more languages). To ensure that the results were not due to bilinguals having a healthier lifestyle, researchers took into account other factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and age.
About 40 percent of bilingual patients had normal cognitive functions after a stroke, compared to about 20 percent of monolingual patients.
Bilingual patients performed better on tests that measured attention, and the ability to retrieve and organize information.
Surprisingly, there were no different between bilinguals and monolinguals in the likelihood of experiencing aphasia, a disorder that can cause difficulties in speaking, reading and writing after a stroke.
The study’s results may not be universally applicable to all bilingual people, explain researchers. Hyderabad is a multicultural city in which many languages are spoken, including Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English. “The cognitive benefit may not be seen in places where the need to function in two or more languages is not as extensive”, explains Suvarna Alladi, lead author and neurology professor at NIMS.
People who speak only a language should not necessarily begin to learn another one, researchers say. The study just suggest that an early intellectual stimulation, or even starting in mid-life, can protect a person from the damage brought on by a stroke.
Previous research found out that bilingualism may delay the onset of Alzheimer.
The new study, informs the Association in a press release, was carried out at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Science (NIMS) in Hyderabad (India). Researchers reviewed the records of 608 patients that had suffered a stroke during the period 2006-13. More than half of the patients were bilingual (they spoke two or more languages). To ensure that the results were not due to bilinguals having a healthier lifestyle, researchers took into account other factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes and age.
About 40 percent of bilingual patients had normal cognitive functions after a stroke, compared to about 20 percent of monolingual patients.
Bilingual patients performed better on tests that measured attention, and the ability to retrieve and organize information.
Surprisingly, there were no different between bilinguals and monolinguals in the likelihood of experiencing aphasia, a disorder that can cause difficulties in speaking, reading and writing after a stroke.
The study’s results may not be universally applicable to all bilingual people, explain researchers. Hyderabad is a multicultural city in which many languages are spoken, including Telugu, Urdu, Hindi and English. “The cognitive benefit may not be seen in places where the need to function in two or more languages is not as extensive”, explains Suvarna Alladi, lead author and neurology professor at NIMS.
People who speak only a language should not necessarily begin to learn another one, researchers say. The study just suggest that an early intellectual stimulation, or even starting in mid-life, can protect a person from the damage brought on by a stroke.
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