Previous research has demonstrated that, in comparison to monolinguals, bilingual individuals exhibit better cognitive control. Applying this to older adults, Gigi Luk and associates investigated the hypothesis that bilingualism is correlated with the maintenance of white matter, which typically declines with age. Their findings successfully revealed higher white matter integrity in bilingual adults compared to their monolingual counterparts. They linked these connections to more widely distributed patterns of functional connectivity in bilinguals, underscoring the importance of white matter integrity and the pronounced impact of bilingualism.
In contrast, Lorna García-Pentón endeavors to highlight the challenges in studying the relationship between bilingualism and brain structure. She attributes highly variable data to issues related to sample size and methodological approach, cautioning against making broad generalizations without consistent evidence. Comparatively to the ideas Ashley Chung-Fat-Yim touched on, how individuals self-identify as bilingual poses a critical question. Before a study can begin, researchers must find a suitable group of bilinguals, but the wide spectrum of language proficiency can pose as a threat to obtaining reliable results.
The intricacies of bilingualism present substantial challenges in correlating it with the complexities of the brain. While efforts have been made to establish definitive conclusions, further research remains imperative. This evolving field of neuroscience promises fascinating knowledge to the ideas of bilingualism related to brain structure and function, with much yet to be uncovered.
References:
García-Pentón, L., Fernández García, Y., Costello, B., Duñabeitia, J. A., & Carreiras, M. (2017). The neuroanatomy of bilingualism: how to turn a hazy view into the full picture. Language, Cognition and Neuroscience, 31(3), 303–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/23273798.2015.1068944
No comments:
Post a Comment