Poster No:
999
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Ladan Ghazi Saidi1,2, kiley Allgood1, Lauren Secilmis3, Annelie Persson4, Lauren Rezac5, Cary Savage5,2, Douglas Schultz5,2
Institutions:
1University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE, 2Center for Brain Biology and Behavior, Lincoln, NE, 3University of nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 4University of Nebraska in Omaha, Omaha, NE, 5University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
First Author:
Ladan Ghazi Saidi
University of Nebraska at Kearney|Center for Brain Biology and Behavior
Kearney, NE|Lincoln, NE
Co-Author(s):
Cary Savage
University of Nebraska Lincoln|Center for Brain Biology and Behavior
Lincoln, NE|Lincoln, NE
Douglas Schultz, Phd
University of Nebraska Lincoln|Center for Brain Biology and Behavior
Lincoln, NE|Lincoln, NE
Introduction:
Emerging evidence suggests that lifelong bilingualism may bolster cognitive reserve, enabling better maintenance of cognitive functioning in aging. Better cognitive reserve is evidenced by superior performance on cognitive tasks compared to monolingual peers as well as more efficient functional network and structural differences. However, the impact of acquiring a new language in later life on cognitive reserve and brain structure remains uncharted territory. Our study aims to elucidate whether learning a new language in older adulthood contributes to cognitive reserve. Specifically, we focus on assessing structural brain changes, including volumetric alterations and cortical thickness variations, in older adults engaging in new language acquisition.
Methods:
Our sample includes 41 healthy monolingual participants (60-80) living in a monolingual environment (Nebraska). Participants used an online language learning program to learn a language of their choice. The intervention (language learning) was for four months, 5 days a week, 90 minutes per day. Participants were monitored daily for their performance and retention. Participants were scanned before and after the language learning intervention using a whole-brain 3T Siemens Skyra MRI scanner equipped with a 32-channel head coil. T1-weighted MPRAGE were collected (TR/TE=2200/3.37 ms, inversion time=1110 ms, flip angle=7°, 1 mm3 voxels). Acquisition time was around 7 min. Cortical thickness across various brain regions was estimated with Freesurfer and the recon-all command with default settings and using the Destrieaux atlas. Cortical thickness was compared between pre and post intervention. Pre and post intervention values were compared using General Linear Model, Repeated Measures using IBM SPSS, version 29, and corrected for multiple comparisons with False Discovery Rate (FDR).
Results:
Behavioral results suggest that all participants successfully learn their language of choice with an average performance score of 96% in the post intervention proficiency test.
Pre-post-intervention cortical thickness was different in 49 brain areas in the left hemisphere and 22 brain areas in the right hemisphere including bilateral inferior, lateral and superior temporal gyri and sulci; bilateral insular cortex including superior and anterior circular insular sulci; bilateral occipito-temporal gyri; bilateral pre and post central sulci, bilateral inferior frontal sulci as well as the left cuneus and precuneus gyri, the left dorsal and ventral cingulate gyri and bilateral cingulate marginalis sulci; the left inferior and superior parietal gyri including the angular gyrus; the left inferior opercular and orbital gyri and orbital sulcus (P<.001). These brain areas are involved in different language and cognitive processes including attention processing, working memory and inhibitory control.
Conclusions:
These results suggest that learning a new language in older adults for four months can induce structural neuroplasticity. These changes are especially noticeable in the left hemisphere with cortical thickness. These results may suggest that learning a new language in older adults has an effect on cortical morphology which may contribute to slowing cognitive decline. These results are promising, however, they should be interpreted by caution, given that this study lacks a control group.
Language:
Language Acquisition 1
Lifespan Development:
Aging 2
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Image Registration and Computational Anatomy
Neuroanatomy, Physiology, Metabolism and Neurotransmission:
Cortical Anatomy and Brain Mapping
Novel Imaging Acquisition Methods:
Anatomical MRI
Keywords:
Acquisition
Aging
Cortex
MRI
NORMAL HUMAN
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
Provide references using author date format
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