Redefining bilingualism as a spectrum of experiences that differentially affects brain structure and function

Linguistics and English Language

Text available via DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1811513116
Final published version

Keywords

Bilingualism, Gray matter, Neuroplasticity, Resting-state functionality, White matter

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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Published

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Redefining bilingualism as a spectrum of experiences that differentially affects brain structure and function. / DeLuca, Vincent; Rothman, Jason; Bialystok, Ellen et al.
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 116, No. 15, 09.04.2019, p. 7565-7574.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

DeLuca, V, Rothman, J, Bialystok, E & Pliatsikas, C 2019, 'Redefining bilingualism as a spectrum of experiences that differentially affects brain structure and function', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 116, no. 15, pp. 7565-7574. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1811513116

APA

DeLuca, V., Rothman, J., Bialystok, E., & Pliatsikas, C. (2019). Redefining bilingualism as a spectrum of experiences that differentially affects brain structure and function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 116(15), 7565-7574. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1811513116

Vancouver

DeLuca V, Rothman J, Bialystok E, Pliatsikas C. Redefining bilingualism as a spectrum of experiences that differentially affects brain structure and function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2019 Apr 9;116(15):7565-7574. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1811513116

Author

DeLuca, Vincent ; Rothman, Jason ; Bialystok, Ellen et al. / Redefining bilingualism as a spectrum of experiences that differentially affects brain structure and function. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2019 ; Vol. 116, No. 15. pp. 7565-7574.

Bibtex

@article{24f36692d60f4f3596290024851fc5c8,

title = "Redefining bilingualism as a spectrum of experiences that differentially affects brain structure and function",

abstract = "Learning and using an additional language is shown to have an impact on the structure and function of the brain, including in regions involved in cognitive control and the connections between them. However, the available evidence remains variable in terms of the localization, extent, and trajectory of these effects. Variability likely stems from the fact that bilingualism has been routinely operationalized as a categorical variable (bilingual/monolingual), whereas it is a complex and dynamic experience with a number of potentially deterministic factors affecting neural plasticity. Here we present a study investigating the combined effects of experience-based factors (EBFs) in bilingual language use on brain structure and functional connectivity. EBFs include an array of measures of everyday usage of a second language in different types of immersive settings (e.g., amount of use in social settings). Analyses reveal specific adaptations in the brain, both structural and functional, correlated to individual EBFs and their combined effects. Taken together, the data show that the brain adapts to be maximally efficient in the processing and control of two languages, although modulated ultimately by individual language experience.",

keywords = "Bilingualism, Gray matter, Neuroplasticity, Resting-state functionality, White matter",

author = "Vincent DeLuca and Jason Rothman and Ellen Bialystok and Christos Pliatsikas",

year = "2019",

month = apr,

day = "9",

doi = "10.1073/pnas.1811513116",

language = "English",

volume = "116",

pages = "7565--7574",

journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",

issn = "0027-8424",

publisher = "National Academy of Sciences",

number = "15",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Redefining bilingualism as a spectrum of experiences that differentially affects brain structure and function

AU - DeLuca, Vincent

AU - Rothman, Jason

AU - Bialystok, Ellen

AU - Pliatsikas, Christos

PY - 2019/4/9

Y1 - 2019/4/9

N2 - Learning and using an additional language is shown to have an impact on the structure and function of the brain, including in regions involved in cognitive control and the connections between them. However, the available evidence remains variable in terms of the localization, extent, and trajectory of these effects. Variability likely stems from the fact that bilingualism has been routinely operationalized as a categorical variable (bilingual/monolingual), whereas it is a complex and dynamic experience with a number of potentially deterministic factors affecting neural plasticity. Here we present a study investigating the combined effects of experience-based factors (EBFs) in bilingual language use on brain structure and functional connectivity. EBFs include an array of measures of everyday usage of a second language in different types of immersive settings (e.g., amount of use in social settings). Analyses reveal specific adaptations in the brain, both structural and functional, correlated to individual EBFs and their combined effects. Taken together, the data show that the brain adapts to be maximally efficient in the processing and control of two languages, although modulated ultimately by individual language experience.

AB - Learning and using an additional language is shown to have an impact on the structure and function of the brain, including in regions involved in cognitive control and the connections between them. However, the available evidence remains variable in terms of the localization, extent, and trajectory of these effects. Variability likely stems from the fact that bilingualism has been routinely operationalized as a categorical variable (bilingual/monolingual), whereas it is a complex and dynamic experience with a number of potentially deterministic factors affecting neural plasticity. Here we present a study investigating the combined effects of experience-based factors (EBFs) in bilingual language use on brain structure and functional connectivity. EBFs include an array of measures of everyday usage of a second language in different types of immersive settings (e.g., amount of use in social settings). Analyses reveal specific adaptations in the brain, both structural and functional, correlated to individual EBFs and their combined effects. Taken together, the data show that the brain adapts to be maximally efficient in the processing and control of two languages, although modulated ultimately by individual language experience.

KW - Bilingualism

KW - Gray matter

KW - Neuroplasticity

KW - Resting-state functionality

KW - White matter

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064117987&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.1811513116

DO - 10.1073/pnas.1811513116

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30914463

AN - SCOPUS:85064117987

VL - 116

SP - 7565

EP - 7574

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

SN - 0027-8424

IS - 15

ER -

Research

Text available via DOI:

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