London - Stroke patients are more likely to regain their cognitive functions if they speak more than one language, according to researchers.
A study of more than 600 stroke victims found 40.5 percent of those who were multilingual had normal mental functions afterwards, against 19.6 percent of patients who only spoke one language.
The study was carried out by the University of Edinburgh and the Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India. Hyderabad was chosen for the research because its multi-cultural nature means many languages are commonly spoken.
Edinburgh’s Thomas Bak told the American Heart Association journal Stroke: “Bilingualism makes people switch from one language to another ... This switching offers practically constant brain training which may be a factor in helping stroke patients recover.”
Daily Mail