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Learning a second language improves brain structures in MS

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  1. The study in brief
  2. The study in more detail
  3. Find out more about brain connections and neuroplasticity
  4. Browse more from the latest research

The study in brief

Learning a second language is linked to changes in brain connections, known as neuroplasticity, and also leads to improvements in general cognitive skills, not just those associated with language. This has not been studied in MS, so researchers designed a pilot study to see whether people with MS gained similar benefits from learning a new language.

Researchers in Austria recruited 11 people with early stage relapsing remitting MS and 12 people who did not have MS for comparison. Both groups took part in an eight-week English language course. MRI scans before and after the course were used to measure changes in the volume of grey matter in the brain. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess quality of life relating to physical and mental health and completed tests to measure their improvement in speaking and understanding English.

Both groups improved their proficiency in English. Mental health quality of life improved in the MS group. MRI scans taken before the course showed a significantly lower grey matter volume in several regions of the brain in people with MS when compared to those who did not have MS. After completing the course, the scans showed an increase in grey matter volume in areas of the brain responsible for short-term memory, learning and environment recognition.

The increase in grey matter volume seen in this study provides some evidence of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to make new connections and rewire itself. The researchers suggested that improved mental health for MS participants showed that taking part in the language course was a positive experience and enhanced their confidence in dealing with challenges.

The small number of people in this study means that the results should be interpreted with caution; a larger study will be needed to confirm the findings. Further studies could also investigate whether learning a second language or another skill might protect or improve broader cognitive skills in MS, such as memory and concentration.

The study in more detail

Background

Research has shown that learning a second language is linked to changes in brain connections, known as neuroplasticity, in parts of the brain which are related to language learning. Learning a second language also leads to improvements in general cognitive skills, not just those associated with language. As this has not previously been studied in MS, researchers designed a pilot study to see whether people with MS gained similar benefits from learning a new language.

How this study was carried out

Researchers in Austria recruited 11 people with early stage relapsing remitting MS and 12 people who did not have MS for comparison. Participants attended an eight-week English language course which consisted of three hours each week in a classroom setting, and completed extra tasks, such as learning vocabulary, at home between classes.

MRI scans were used to measure the volume of grey matter in the brain. Scans were carried out before and after the language course. Participants also completed questionnaires to assess quality of life relating to physical and mental health and completed tests to measure their improvement in speaking and understanding English.

What was found?

Before the course, the level of English proficiency was the same for the two groups, those with MS and those who did not have MS. After completing the course, both groups had increased English proficiency with significant improvements in listening comprehension, speaking fluency and vocabulary knowledge in all participants.

Before the course, quality of life for physical health was similar in both groups, but mental health quality of life was significantly lower in the MS group. After the course, physical health was unchanged for both groups, but scores for mental health were significantly improved in the MS group.

MRI scans taken before the course showed a significantly lower grey matter volume in several regions of the brain in people with MS when compared to those who did not have MS. However, after completing the course, the scans showed an increase in grey matter volume in areas of the brain responsible for short-term memory, learning and environment recognition.

Further analyses also showed that, in the MS group, increases in grey matter volume in specific areas of the brain were associated with a gain in vocabulary knowledge.

What does it mean?

The increase in grey matter volume seen in this study provides some evidence of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to make new connections and rewire itself. The researchers suggested that improved mental health for MS participants showed that taking part in the language course was a positive experience and enhanced their confidence in dealing with challenges.

The small number of people in this study means that the results should be interpreted with caution; a larger study will be needed to confirm the findings. It would also be interesting to see whether the increase in grey matter volume is maintained beyond the end of the language course and whether similar improvements are seen in people who have had MS for a longer time. Further studies could also investigate whether learning a second language or another skill might protect or improve broader cognitive skills in MS, such as memory and concentration.

Ehling R, et al.
Second language learning induces grey matter volume increase in people with multiple sclerosis.
Journal PLoS One. 2019;14(12):e0226525.
Read the full study

Find out more about brain connections and neuroplasticity

Brain tissue is divided into two types: white matter and grey matter. White matter is mostly made up of nerve axons, insulated by a coating of myelin, which gives this tissue its white appearance. Grey matter is largely made up of the bodies of nerve cells and the millions of connections between them.

During the course of MS, both white and grey matter are affected. The immune system attacks the myelin coating of nerve axons in white matter; over time nerve cells in the grey matter die and connections between cells are lost, leading to a decrease in grey matter volume (also known as brain atrophy). Loss of grey matter volume is used as marker for MS progression and is associated with increased disability and cognitive problems.

Learning a new skill, such as acquiring a second language, involves establishing new connections between nerve cells, which can be detected as an increase in grey matter volume. This ability of the brain to adapt and rewire is known as neuroplasticity and is the principle underlying rehabilitation therapies in MS; by practising something repeatedly, you encourage your brain to compensate for loss of nerve cells and connections by finding new routes around areas of damage.

Fancy trying it yourself? You can learn new languages using free online resources such as Duolingo or Memrise. Both offer a wide range of languages, you could really challenge yourself by tackling Klingon or High Valyrian!

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