Work

Subcortical malleability as a result of cognitively challenging experiences: the case of bi-/multilingualism

Year: 2024

Type: review

Abstract: Experience-based neuroplasticity in the healthy brain is a well-documented finding, with functional and structural adaptations in cortical and subcortical structures reported as the brain’s response to cognitively challenging experiences. These experiences include bi-/multilingualism: Speaking more than one language entails increased cognitive demands related to language acquisition, processing and control, which affect subcortical structures subserving these processes, including the basal ganglia and the cerebellum. This paper reviews evidence on bilingualism-induced subcortical neuroplasticity at the level of brain structure, function and metabolism, and explores how it interacts with brain decline. As such, it highlights bi-/multilingualism as a test case for studying long-term neuroplastic effects in the brain.

Source: Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences

DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2024.101438

Authors: Jia’en Yee, Michal Kořenář, Alex Sheehan, Christos Pliatsikas

Language: English

Topic: Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,840

Funder: Economic and Social Research Council