Second language learning induces grey matter volume increase in people with multiple sclerosis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 12; p. e0226525
• Main Authors: Ehling, Rainer, Amprosi, Matthias, Kremmel, Benjamin, Bsteh, Gabriel, Eberharter, Kathrin, Zehentner, Matthias, Steiger, Ruth, Tuovinen, Noora, Gizewski, Elke R., Benke, Thomas, Berger, Thomas, Spöttl, Carol, Brenneis, Christian, Scherfler, Christoph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 23.12.2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Analysis; Autoimmune diseases; Bilingualism; Biology and Life Sciences; Brain; Brain diseases; Brain Mapping; Brain research; Cognitive ability; Comprehension - physiology; Cortex; Education; Female; Fluency; Gray Matter - diagnostic imaging; Gray Matter - growth & development; Gray Matter - pathology; Health; Hippocampus; Humans; Landsteiner, Karl; Language; Language proficiency; Learning; Listening; Listening comprehension; Longitudinal Studies; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Medicine and Health Sciences; Memory; Middle Aged; Multilingualism; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - diagnosis; Multiple Sclerosis - pathology; Multiple Sclerosis - psychology; Neurological diseases; Neurological disorders; Neurology; Neuroplasticity; Organ Size - physiology; Parahippocampal gyrus; Parahippocampus; Plastic properties; Plasticity; Plasticity (cortical); Putamen; Quality of Life; Recurrence (Disease); Rehabilitation; Research and Analysis Methods; Second language learning; Social Sciences; Somatotropin; Speaking; Statistics; Substantia grisea; Training; Vocabulary; Young adults; United Kingdom; Austria
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226525

Grey matter volume (GMV) decline is a frequent finding in multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common chronic neurological disease in young adults. Increases of GMV were detected in language related brain regions following second language (L2) learning in healthy adults. Effects of L2 learning in people with MS (pwMS) have not been investigated so far. This study prospectively evaluated the potential of an eight-week L2 training on grey matter plasticity measured by 3T-MRI, L2 proficiency and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people with relapsing-remitting MS (pwMS, n = 11) and healthy, sex- and age-matched controls (HCs; n = 12). Categorical voxel-based analysis revealed significantly less GMV bilaterally of the insula extending to the temporal pole in pwMS at baseline. Following L2 training, significant increases of GMV were evident in the right hippocampus, parahippocampus and putamen of pwMS and in the left insula of HCs. L2 training resulted in significant improvements of listening comprehension, speaking fluency and vocabulary knowledge in both pwMS and HCs. GMV increases of right hippocampus and parahippocampus significantly correlated with vocabulary knowledge gain and L2 learning was associated with a significant increase of HRQoL in pwMS. Our findings demonstrate distinct patterns of GMV increases of language related brain regions in pwMS and HCs and indicate disease-related compensatory cortical and subcortical plasticity to acquire L2 proficiency in pwMS.