scholarly journals The effects of bilingualism on hippocampal volume in ageing bilinguals

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toms Voits ◽  
Holly Robson ◽  
Jason Rothman ◽  
Christos Pliatsikas
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Wide Range

AbstractLong-term management of more than one language has been argued to contribute to changes in brain and cognition. This has been particularly well documented in older age, where bilingualism has been linked to protective effects against neurocognitive decline. Since memory difficulties are key aspects of this decline, herein we examine potential effects of bilingualism on the hippocampus, a brain structure related to memory that is particularly vulnerable to cognitive ageing. Hippocampal volume has been shown to increase as a result of second language learning and use in younger adults. However, it is unknown if this is maintained throughout the lifespan. We examine hippocampal volume and episodic memory performance in a participant sample consisting of healthy older individuals with a wide range of experiences in exposure and using a second language. Results reveal greater hippocampal volume calibrated to degree of quantified dual language use. Our results mirror those of immersive active bilingualism in younger populations, suggesting that long-term active bilingualism leads to neuroprotective effects in the hippocampus. We discuss this in the context of literature proposing bilingualism-induced brain reserve in the older age.

scholarly journals The effects of bilingualism on the structure of the hippocampus and on memory performance in ageing bilinguals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toms Voits ◽  
Holly Robson ◽  
Jason Rothman ◽  
Christos Pliatsikas
Keyword(s):  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Delayed Diagnosis ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Older Age ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects

Long-term management of more than one language has been suggested to lead to changes in cognition and the brain. This is particularly documented in older age, where bilingualism is associated with protective effects against decline, for example, affording compensation for symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease leading to delayed diagnosis relative to non-bilinguals. Herein, we focus on potential bilingualism effects in the hippocampus, a brain structure related to memory that is particularly vulnerable to cognitive ageing. Hippocampal volume has been shown to increase as a result of second language learning and use in younger adults. However, we do not know if this is maintained over the lifespan, that is, what the long-term effects might be examined in ageing. Herein, we examine hippocampal volume and performance in episodic memory tasks in healthy ageing long-term bilinguals compared to monolinguals. Results show greater hippocampal volume for the bilinguals, which was correlated to individual-level quantified use of the two languages. Thus, our results mirror that of immersive active bilingualism in younger populations. No significant effects of bilingualism were reported on episodic memory task performance. Our findings suggest that long-term active bilingualism leads to neuroprotective effects in the hippocampus, which we discuss in the context of the proposed bilingualism-induced brain reserve in older age literature.

Second language learning via syntactic priming: The effects of modality, attention and motivation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Coumel ◽  
Ema Ushioda ◽  
Katherine Messenger
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Syntactic Priming ◽  
Input Modality ◽  
Online Study ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
High Motivation

We examined whether language input modality and individual differences in attention and motivation influence second language (L2) learning via syntactic priming. In an online study, we compared French L2 English and L1 English speakers’ primed production of passives in reading-to-writing vs. listening-to-writing priming conditions. We measured immediate priming (producing a passive immediately after exposure to the target structure) and short- and long-term learning (producing more target structures in immediate and delayed post-tests without primes relative to pre-tests). Both groups showed immediate priming and short- and long-term learning. Prime modality did not influence these effects but learning was greater in L2 speakers. While attention only increased learning in L1 speakers, high motivation increased L2 speakers' learning in the reading-to-writing condition. These results suggest that syntactic priming fosters long-term L2 learning, regardless of input modality. This study is the first to show that motivation may modulate L2 learning via syntactic priming.

scholarly journals Increased Cerebrospinal Fluid Production as a Possible Mechanism Underlying Caffeine's Protective Effect against Alzheimer's Disease

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Wostyn ◽  
Debby Van Dam ◽  
Kurt Audenaert ◽  
Peter Paul De Deyn
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Late Onset ◽  
Senile Plaques ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Caffeine Consumption ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Csf Production

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common type of dementia among older people, is characterized by the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain. Despite major advances in understanding the molecular etiology of the disease, progress in the clinical treatment of AD patients has been extremely limited. Therefore, new and more effective therapeutic approaches are needed. Accumulating evidence from human and animal studies suggests that the long-term consumption of caffeine, the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world, may be protective against AD. The mechanisms underlying the suggested beneficial effect of caffeine against AD remain to be elucidated. In recent studies, several potential neuroprotective effects of caffeine have been proposed. Interestingly, a recent study in rats showed that the long-term consumption of caffeine increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production, associated with the increased expression of Na+-K+ATPase and increased cerebral blood flow. Compromised function of the choroid plexus and defective CSF production and turnover, with diminished clearance of Aβ, may be one mechanism implicated in the pathogenesis of late-onset AD. If reduced CSF turnover is a risk factor for AD, then therapeutic strategies to improve CSF flow are reasonable. In this paper, we hypothesize that long-term caffeine consumption could exert protective effects against AD at least in part by facilitating CSF production, turnover, and clearance. Further, we propose a preclinical experimental design allowing evaluation of this hypothesis.

A critical review of research relating to the learning, use and effects of additional and multiple languages in later life

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone E. Pfenninger ◽  
David Singleton
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Active Ageing ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Mature Adults ◽  
L2 Learning

AbstractWhile there is a growing body of research on second language acquisition (SLA) in children, adolescents, young and more mature adults, much remains to be explored about how adults in later life learn a new language and how good additional language learning is for them. Our goal in this article is to survey and evaluate what is known about the linguistic, socio-affective, neurobiological and cognitive underpinnings of the second language (L2) learning process in older individuals, the extent to which L2 acquisition may be seen as contributing to healthy and active ageing, and how these phenomena are to be approached scientifically, methodologically and pedagogically. Our view is that a developmental enterprise as complex as L2 learning in senior adulthood and its effects in later life cannot be explained by a single theory or set of principles. Furthermore, we take it that L2 acquisition in the third age needs to be regarded not just as a goal in itself but as a means of promoting social interaction and integration, and that it is partly through the stimulation of social well-being that its cognitive effects may potentially be observed.

scholarly journals The presubiculum links incipient amyloid and tau pathology to memory function in older persons

Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (18) ◽  
pp. e1916-e1928
Author(s):  
Heidi I.L. Jacobs ◽  
Jean C. Augustinack ◽  
Aaron P. Schultz ◽  
Bernard J. Hanseeuw ◽  
Joseph Locascio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Pet Scan ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Amyloid Pet ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Amyloid Burden ◽  
Tau Pathology

ObjectiveTo identify the hippocampal subregions linking initial amyloid and tau pathology to memory performance in clinically normal older individuals, reflecting preclinical Alzheimer disease (AD).MethodsA total of 127 individuals from the Harvard Aging Brain Study (mean age 76.22 ± 6.42 years, 68 women [53.5%]) with a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0, a flortaucipir tau-PET scan, a Pittsburgh compound B amyloid-PET scan, a structural MRI scan, and cognitive testing were included. From these images, we calculated neocortical, hippocampal, and entorhinal amyloid pathology; entorhinal and hippocampal tau pathology; and the volumes of 6 hippocampal subregions and total hippocampal volume. Memory was assessed with the selective reminding test. Mediation and moderation analyses modeled associations between regional markers and memory. Analyses included covariates for age, sex, and education.ResultsNeocortical amyloid, entorhinal tau, and presubiculum volume univariately associated with memory performance. The relationship between neocortical amyloid and memory was mediated by entorhinal tau and presubiculum volume, which was modified by hippocampal amyloid burden. With other biomarkers held constant, presubiculum volume was the only marker predicting memory performance in the total sample and in individuals with elevated hippocampal amyloid burden.ConclusionsThe presubiculum captures unique AD-related biological variation that is not reflected in total hippocampal volume. Presubiculum volume may be a promising marker of imminent memory problems and can contribute to understanding the interaction between incipient AD-related pathologies and memory performance. The modulation by hippocampal amyloid suggests that amyloid is a necessary, but not sufficient, process to drive neurodegeneration in memory-related regions.

scholarly journals Predicting Second Language Proficiency with Resting-state Brain Rhythms

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 39-54
Author(s):  
Victoria Ogunniyi ◽  
David Abugaber ◽  
Irene Finestrat ◽  
Alicia Luque ◽  
Kara Morgan-Short
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Spectral Power ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Electrical Brain Activity

Understanding what traits facilitate second language (L2) learning has been the focus of many psycholinguistic studies for the last thirty years. One source of insight comes from quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG), i.e., electrical brain activity recorded from the scalp. Using qEEG, Prat et al. [1] found that functional brain connectivity is predictive of language learning ability. This study extends Prat et al. in investigating the predictive validity of qEEG measures for two measures of L2 proficiency, namely: 1. a grammaticality judgement task (GJT), wherein participants read and identified Spanish sentences as either correct or incorrect based on possible grammar violations, and 2. a standardized Spanish proficiency test (DELE). Participants were L2 learners recruited from third- and fourth-semester university Spanish classes. Spectral power and coherence within and across six different regions were analyzed for correlations with either GJT or DELE scores. Follow-up linear regression models based on significant qEEG correlates explained up to 11% of variance in DELE scores but none of the variance in GJT scores. Negative correlations were found between theta frequency coherence and the DELE. Because theta activity has been associated with episodic and working memory performance, these findings suggest that less proficient learners might utilize memory-based strategies more often to compensate for their lack of familiarity with the L2.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Anti-apoptotic and Anti-cytotoxic Effect of Epicatechin Gallate and Edaravone on SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells

2019 ◽  
pp. 619-630
Author(s):  
Mohammad Shokrzadeh ◽  
Hashem Javanmard ◽  
Golpar Golmohammad Zadeh ◽  
Hossein Asgarian Omran ◽  
Mona Modanlou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Cell Viability ◽  
Mtt Assay ◽  
Neuroprotective Effect ◽  
Neuroblastoma Cells ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Epicatechin Gallate ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Late Apoptosis

Introduction: Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting older individuals with signs of motor disability and cognitive impairment. Epicatechin (EC) and edaravone have neuroprotective effects most probably due to their antioxidant activity; however, a limited number of studies have considered their role in PD. This research aimed at investigating the neuroprotective effect of EC and edaravone in a neurotoxin-induced model of PD. Methods: An in vitro model of PD was made by subjecting SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells to neurotoxin: 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) 100 µM/well. The cytoprotective effect of EC and edaravone in five concentrations on cell viability was tested using the MTT assay. The apoptotic assay was done by annexin V and propidium iodide method using flow cytometry. Results: According to the MTT assay analysis, EC and edaravone had protective effects against 6-OH DA-induced cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells that were much more significant for edaravone and also a relative synergistic effect between EC and edaravone was observed. The apoptotic analysis showed that edaravone alone could decrease early and late apoptosis, whereas EC diminished early apoptosis, but enhanced late apoptosis and necrosis. Besides, co-treatment of edaravone and EC had a synergistic effect on decreasing apoptosis and increasing cell viability. Conclusion: The protective effect of edaravone on apoptosis and cytotoxicity was demonstrated clearly and EC had a synergistic effect with edaravone.

scholarly journals Within-session verbal learning slope is predictive of lifespan delayed recall, hippocampal volume, and memory training benefit, and is heritable

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristine B. Walhovd ◽  
Anne Cecilie Sjøli Bråthen ◽  
Matthew S. Panizzon ◽  
Athanasia M. Mowinckel ◽  
Øystein Sørensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Memory Performance ◽  
Memory Function ◽  
Verbal Learning ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Human Lifespan ◽  
Significant Heritability ◽  
Mri Scans

AbstractMemory performance results from plasticity, the ability to change with experience. We show that benefit from practice over a few trials, learning slope, is predictive of long-term recall and hippocampal volume across a broad age range and a long period of time, relates to memory training benefit, and is heritable. First, in a healthy lifespan sample (n = 1825, age 4–93 years), comprising 3483 occasions of combined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and memory tests over a period of up to 11 years, learning slope across 5 trials was uniquely related to performance on a delayed free recall test, as well as hippocampal volume, independent from first trial memory or total memory performance across the five learning trials. Second, learning slope was predictive of benefit from memory training across ten weeks in an experimental subsample of adults (n = 155). Finally, in an independent sample of male twins (n = 1240, age 51–50 years), learning slope showed significant heritability. Within-session learning slope may be a useful marker beyond performance per se, being heritable and having unique predictive value for long-term memory function, hippocampal volume and training benefit across the human lifespan.

Neuroprotection by dietary restriction and the PPAR transcription complex

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Mobbs ◽  
Cesar Moreno ◽  
Esther Kim ◽  
Nydia Ekasumara ◽  
Bridget Marcellino
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Dietary Restriction ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Creb Binding Protein ◽  
Type 2 Diabetic Patients ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Inflammatory Processes ◽  
Transcriptional Complex

AbstractAlthough the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases is distinct for each disease, considerable evidence suggests that a single manipulation, dietary restriction, is strikingly protective against a wide range of such diseases. Thus pharmacological mimetics of dietary restrictions could prove widely protective across a range of neurodegenerative diseases. The PPAR transcription complex functions to re-program gene expression in response to nutritional deprivation as well as in response to a wide variety of lipophilic compounds. In mammals there are three PPAR homologs, which dimerize with RXR homologs and recruit coactivators Pgc1-alpha and Creb-binding protein (Cbp). PPARs are currently of clinical interest mainly because PPAR activators are approved for use in humans to reduce lipidemia and to improve glucose control in Type 2 diabetic patients. However, pharmacological enhancement of the activity of the PPAR complex is neuroprotective across a wide variety of models for neuropathological processes, including stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. Conversely activity of the PPAR transcriptional complex is reduced in a variety of neuropathological processes. The main mechanisms mediating the neuroprotective effects of the PPAR transcription complex appear to be re-routing metabolism away from glucose metabolism and toward alternative subtrates, and reduction in inflammatory processes. Recent evidence suggests that the PPAR transcriptional complex may also mediate protective effects of dietary restriction on neuropathological processes. Thus this complex represents one of the most promising for the development of pharmacological treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Second language construction learning: investigating domain-specific adaptation in advanced L2 production

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELMA KERZ ◽  
DANIEL WIECHMANN
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Transition Theory ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Language System ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Communicative Ability ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
L2 Production ◽  
Theory Of Language

abstractUsage-based (UB) accounts conceive of language learning as continuous, locally contingent construction learning, i.e., a lifelong process of developing and honing the repertoire of constructional patterns geared to the optimization of a language user’s communicative ability across a wide range of language domains. The continuous nature of the process entails that a full UB model needs to account for not only the dynamics of language learning at early stages of acquisition, but also the functionally motivated adaptations of the language system at more advanced levels of proficiency. We present a design based on naturalistic second language (L2) written productions that sets out to reconstruct the states of constructional knowledge of advanced L2 learners through the statistical analysis of their productions. Irrespective of theoretical framing, the study provides foundational data relevant for any property theory of language learning, i.e., any theory that is concerned with the nature of the language system to be acquired, which logically precedes a transition theory of the developmental processes of L2 acquisition.

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