The Neurodevelopmental Dynamics of Multilingual Experience During Childhood: A Longitudinal Behavioral, Structural, and Functional MRI Study
Background/Objectives: A neurobiological framework of bi- or multilingual neurocognitive development must consider the following: (i) longitudinal behavioral and neural measures; (ii) brain developmental constraints across structure and function; and (iii) the development of global multilingual comp...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Brain Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/1/54 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832588903553433600 |
|---|---|
| author | Pasquale Anthony Della Rosa Gerda Videsott Virginia Maria Borsa Eleonora Catricalà Nicolò Pecco Federica Alemanno Matteo Canini Andrea Falini Rita Franceschini Jubin Abutalebi |
| author_facet | Pasquale Anthony Della Rosa Gerda Videsott Virginia Maria Borsa Eleonora Catricalà Nicolò Pecco Federica Alemanno Matteo Canini Andrea Falini Rita Franceschini Jubin Abutalebi |
| author_sort | Pasquale Anthony Della Rosa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background/Objectives: A neurobiological framework of bi- or multilingual neurocognitive development must consider the following: (i) longitudinal behavioral and neural measures; (ii) brain developmental constraints across structure and function; and (iii) the development of global multilingual competence in a homogeneous social environment. In this study, we investigated whether multilingual competence yields early changes in executive attention control mechanisms and their underlying neural structures in the frontal–striatal system, such as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/pre-supplemental area and the left caudate. Methods: We employed longitudinal neuroimaging and functional connectivity methods in a small group of multilingual children over two years. Results: We found that the dACC/preSMA is functionally influenced by changes in multilingual competence but not yet structurally adapted, while the left caudate, in a developmental stage, is influenced, adapts, and specializes due to multilingual experience. Furthermore, increases in multilingual competence strengthen connections between the dACC/preSMA, left caudate, and other structures of the cognitive control network, such as the right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral inferior parietal lobules. Conclusions: These findings suggest that multilingual competence impacts brain “adaptation” and “specialization” during childhood. The results may provide insights and guide future research on experience-expectant and experience-dependent brain plasticity to explain the “interaction” between multilingualism and neurodevelopment. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-61c6e73047244ed1ae0b01c98fc29513 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-61c6e73047244ed1ae0b01c98fc295132025-01-24T13:25:49ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252025-01-011515410.3390/brainsci15010054The Neurodevelopmental Dynamics of Multilingual Experience During Childhood: A Longitudinal Behavioral, Structural, and Functional MRI StudyPasquale Anthony Della Rosa0Gerda Videsott1Virginia Maria Borsa2Eleonora Catricalà3Nicolò Pecco4Federica Alemanno5Matteo Canini6Andrea Falini7Rita Franceschini8Jubin Abutalebi9Department of Neuroradiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, ItalyFaculty of Design and Art, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyDepartment of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Piazzale S. Agostino, 2, 24129 Bergamo, ItalyIstituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Mondino Foundation, 27100 Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Neuroradiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, ItalyNeuropsychology Service, Department of Rehabilitation and Functional Recovery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Neuroradiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, ItalyDepartment of Neuroradiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Ospedale San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, ItalyLanguage Study Unit, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, ItalyFaculty of Medicine and Surgery, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, ItalyBackground/Objectives: A neurobiological framework of bi- or multilingual neurocognitive development must consider the following: (i) longitudinal behavioral and neural measures; (ii) brain developmental constraints across structure and function; and (iii) the development of global multilingual competence in a homogeneous social environment. In this study, we investigated whether multilingual competence yields early changes in executive attention control mechanisms and their underlying neural structures in the frontal–striatal system, such as the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/pre-supplemental area and the left caudate. Methods: We employed longitudinal neuroimaging and functional connectivity methods in a small group of multilingual children over two years. Results: We found that the dACC/preSMA is functionally influenced by changes in multilingual competence but not yet structurally adapted, while the left caudate, in a developmental stage, is influenced, adapts, and specializes due to multilingual experience. Furthermore, increases in multilingual competence strengthen connections between the dACC/preSMA, left caudate, and other structures of the cognitive control network, such as the right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral inferior parietal lobules. Conclusions: These findings suggest that multilingual competence impacts brain “adaptation” and “specialization” during childhood. The results may provide insights and guide future research on experience-expectant and experience-dependent brain plasticity to explain the “interaction” between multilingualism and neurodevelopment.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/1/54multilingualismchildhoodlongitudinalneuroimagingcognition |
| spellingShingle | Pasquale Anthony Della Rosa Gerda Videsott Virginia Maria Borsa Eleonora Catricalà Nicolò Pecco Federica Alemanno Matteo Canini Andrea Falini Rita Franceschini Jubin Abutalebi The Neurodevelopmental Dynamics of Multilingual Experience During Childhood: A Longitudinal Behavioral, Structural, and Functional MRI Study Brain Sciences multilingualism childhood longitudinal neuroimaging cognition |
| title | The Neurodevelopmental Dynamics of Multilingual Experience During Childhood: A Longitudinal Behavioral, Structural, and Functional MRI Study |
| title_full | The Neurodevelopmental Dynamics of Multilingual Experience During Childhood: A Longitudinal Behavioral, Structural, and Functional MRI Study |
| title_fullStr | The Neurodevelopmental Dynamics of Multilingual Experience During Childhood: A Longitudinal Behavioral, Structural, and Functional MRI Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Neurodevelopmental Dynamics of Multilingual Experience During Childhood: A Longitudinal Behavioral, Structural, and Functional MRI Study |
| title_short | The Neurodevelopmental Dynamics of Multilingual Experience During Childhood: A Longitudinal Behavioral, Structural, and Functional MRI Study |
| title_sort | neurodevelopmental dynamics of multilingual experience during childhood a longitudinal behavioral structural and functional mri study |
| topic | multilingualism childhood longitudinal neuroimaging cognition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/15/1/54 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pasqualeanthonydellarosa theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT gerdavidesott theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT virginiamariaborsa theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT eleonoracatricala theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT nicolopecco theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT federicaalemanno theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT matteocanini theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT andreafalini theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT ritafranceschini theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT jubinabutalebi theneurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT pasqualeanthonydellarosa neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT gerdavidesott neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT virginiamariaborsa neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT eleonoracatricala neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT nicolopecco neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT federicaalemanno neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT matteocanini neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT andreafalini neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT ritafranceschini neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy AT jubinabutalebi neurodevelopmentaldynamicsofmultilingualexperienceduringchildhoodalongitudinalbehavioralstructuralandfunctionalmristudy |