Morphological Changes in Brain During New Language Acquisition: A VBM Study

Shilpi Modi¹, Manisha Bhattacharya¹, Pawan Kumar¹, Subash Khushu¹

Voxel Based Morphometric (VBM) studies have given evidence to neuroplasticity, with training and acquisition of new skills. In order to find the changes in brain morphometry on learning a fourth language (Japanese), VBM study was carried out on trilingual Indian students who were learning Japanese for the last 2 years. Significant increase in gray and white matter volume was obtained in language learning and processing centres of the brain suggesting use-dependent structural reorganization of the brain on acquisition of new skills.