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Bilingualism beats dementia

Neuroscientist Thomas Bak explains how learning a second language can help combat dementia

Christmas is a time for family and it can be very difficult for those who have relatives with dementia.

According to Alzheimer Scotland, this terrible illness affects roughly 90,000 people in Scotland alone.

Around 3,200 of those people are under the age of 65, with some as young as 30, although this is very rare. With such large numbers of sufferers, it’s not surprising that lots of research has gone into finding ways to delay the onset of this disease.

Exercise and brain training games are often talked about, but there is another way to combat dementia. Edinburgh neuroscientist Thomas Bak explores how learning a second language might help to stave off dementia.

The Times – How learning a language could delay dementia

About Thomas Bak

Thomas Bak is a Reader in Human Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh. He works with the language learning centre Bilingualism Matters. He is a member of the Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology (CCACE) and also the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS).

Bilingualism Matters

Centre for Cognitive Ageing & Cognitive Epidemiology (CCACE)

Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (CCBS)

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