The researchers used data from 728 people from the Basque Country in Spain. The participants spoke up to four different languages.
By measuring the magnetic fields produced by active brain cells, the researchers were able to examine different patterns of brain activity.
They then developed a model that could calculate a person's so-called brain age.
The model was subsequently tested on another group of 144 people, according to Real Simple, citing research from the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies.
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It is not just about the number of languages
The researchers also found a link between brain age and the participants' experience with other languages.
People who were highly proficient in several languages showed more signs of slower brain ageing.
The same was true for people who had learned their second language early in life.
At the same time, the researchers note that factors including lifestyle and social interaction can also affect the brain.
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The biggest difference
The results showed a clear difference between the groups.
Among people who spoke two languages, brain activity corresponded to that of a brain around six years younger than that of people who spoke only one language.
For people who spoke three languages, the difference was around seven years.
The largest difference was found among people who spoke four languages. In this group, brain activity corresponded to that of a brain approximately 13 years younger.
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The results therefore point to a link between experience with multiple languages and slower ageing of brain activity.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.