Multilingualism was not linked to slower cognitive decline
An observational study of 193 multilingual and 1,894 monolingual healthy older adults found differing patterns of change in views of memory and emotional wellbeing.
Research Square
An observational study followed 193 healthy older adults who spoke multiple languages and 1,894 who spoke one, drawn from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Researchers modelled changes over time in cognitive test performance and questionnaires about memory and emotional wellbeing.
Speaking multiple languages was not associated with a consistent advantage in objective cognitive performance or slower age-related decline. Those who spoke one language generally performed better on cognitive measures, including a naming test. On questionnaires about memory and emotional wellbeing, patterns of change in the two groups converged over time. Group differences narrowed or disappeared in particular aspects of these measures.
Why it matters
The study addressed whether lifelong language experience relates to resilience as thinking and emotional wellbeing change with age. The authors suggested that its contribution to adaptation may involve specific aspects of mental regulation and emotional resilience.
Caveats
This observational study cannot establish that speaking multiple languages caused the differences. It studied healthy older adults, and the preprint has not yet been peer-reviewed.
- Multilingualism
- Boston Naming Test
- Digit Symbol Substitution Task
- Metamemory in Adulthood Scale
- Philadelphia Geriatric Centre Morale Scale
- Humans
The paper
Maurice OR, Jones C, Pliatsikas C et al.
Research Square · 6 Oct 2026 · Preprint, not peer-reviewed
