Speaking two languages can double hopes of stroke recovery

Researchers say the studies suggest the mental challenge of speaking more than one language can boost the brain's "cognitive reserve" - its ability to cope with damage. Photo / Getty

Bilingual people are twice as likely to recover from a stroke as those who speak only one language, a study has found.

Although the ability to converse in a second tongue may seem far removed from physical health, it appears to protect the brain against severe damage.

Four in 10 bilingual patients made a full recovery following a stroke, compared with just two in 10 among those who spoke only one language, researchers from the University of Edinburgh found.

The same team has previously discovered that people who speak more than one language develop dementia several years later on average than monolinguists.

Thomas Bak, of the university's school of philosophy, psychology and language sciences, a co-author of the study, said: "Bilingualism makes people switch from one language to another, so while they inhibit one language, they have to activate another to communicate.

"This switching offers practically constant brain training which may be a factor in helping stroke patients recover."

The study, which was published in the journal Stroke, used data from 608 stroke patients in Hyderabad, India, who were assessed on attention skills and the ability to retrieve and organise information. Researchers chose Hyderabad because it is a multicultural city in which many languages are commonly spoken.

Allowing for other health factors such as smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and age, there was a clear benefit for people who were fluent in at least two languages.

Researchers say the studies suggest the mental challenge of speaking more than one language can boost the brain's "cognitive reserve" - its ability to cope with damage.

Their findings suggest that other activities which boost brain power, such as taking evening classes, playing chess, doing crosswords or learning a musical instrument, could also prevent mental decline.

A separate study published by Tasmanian researchers this week found that older adults who take college courses reduce their risk of dementia.

More than 300 over-50s were followed for three years as they took part in full or part-time courses in history, psychology, philosophy and fine art at the University of Tasmania.

More than 90 per cent of the participants displayed a significant increase in cognitive capacity, compared with 56 per cent of a second group who took no classes.

"The study findings are exciting because they demonstrate that it's never too late to take action to maximise the cognitive capacity of your brain," said Dr Megan Lenehan, of the University of Tasmania, the lead researcher.