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Does Diglossia Impact Brain Structure? Data from Swiss German Early Diglossic Speakers.
Lea Berger1,2, Michael Mouthon1, Lea B Jost1
1Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.
Brain Sciences
|April 27, 2024
Summary
Early diglossia, the use of different language varieties, did not significantly alter brain structure in Swiss German speakers compared to French speakers. This suggests diglossia may not impact brain morphology like bilingualism.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Linguistics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Bilingualism is known to induce cortical changes in language and executive networks.
- Diglossia, common in Switzerland, involves switching between Swiss German (CH-GER) and standard German (stGER).
- No prior research investigated the neuroanatomical effects of diglossia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if early diglossia impacts brain structure.
- To compare brain structure in diglossic Swiss German speakers versus non-diglossic French speakers.
Main Methods:
- T1-weighted MRI scans analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM12).
- Voxel-based and surface-based morphometry used to compare grey matter density and volume.
- Groups comprised 22 diglossic CH-GER speakers and 20 non-diglossic French speakers, matched for key demographics.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in whole-brain grey matter density or volume were found between groups.
- No differences in cortical volume or thickness were observed in five regions of interest (planum temporale, caudate nucleus, ACC, DLPFC, left inferior parietal lobule).
Conclusions:
- Early diglossia does not appear to shape brain structure in the same way as bilingualism.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the neuroplastic effects of diglossia.
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