Does Bilingualism Delay the Development of Dementia?

Atkinson, Amy L.

doi:10.5334/jeps.375

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…In 2007, Bialystok et al [13] reported that bilingual patients with probable AD were diagnosed about 4 years later than monolinguals with probable AD. Since then, investigators and most retrospective studies from around the world have suggested that bilingualism delays clinical symptoms of dementia by 4-5 years [3][4][5][6][7] (Table 4). In addition, pervasive multilingualism could be a factor in the low prevalence of cognitive complaints and dementia among older adults in Luxembourg [40], and, in the Lothian Birth Cohort (Scotland), those who learned a second language manifested better cognition in late life [41].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Elderly bilinguals, or those who can use two languages in everyday life and are at risk for AD, can clarify whether there is a "bilingual advantage" in the onset of dementia symptoms. Some, but not all, studies suggest that bilingualism promotes cognitive and neural resilience and delays the onset of the symptoms of dementia [3][4][5][6][7]. If learning or knowing a second language could postpone dementia symptoms even for a few years, this could mean major benefits, not only for quality of life in later years but also for decreasing related healthcare costs [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bilingualism Delays Expression of Alzheimer’s Clinical Syndrome

Mendez¹,

Chavez²,

Akhlaghipour³

2019

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord

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Objective: To evaluate the effects of bilingualism on the emergence of Alzheimer's clinical syndrome. Background: Studies have proposed an increase in cognitive and neural reserve from the management and control of two languages, with a consequent delayed expression of dementia. Methods: In a clinic with a large immigrant population, we identified 253 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) with intermediate or high evidence of AD pathophysiological process. These patients were reviewed for demographic variables, native language (L1) other than English, ages of onset and presentation, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), digit spans, word fluencies, naming, and memory. Results: Among these patients, 74 (29.2%) were bilinguals with various L1s (Farsi, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Arabic, others). When compared to the 179 monolingual AD patients, those who were bilingual had significant delays in ages of onset and presentation of approximately 4 years (p = 0.003). These delays persisted despite bilinguals having worse MMSE scores on presentation. There were no significant group differences on other variables except for worse naming in English among bilinguals versus monolinguals. Caregiver/informants reported that 66 (89.2%) of the 74 bilingual AD patients had gradually regressed to the predominant use of their L1. Conclusions: In line with published reports worldwide, we found that bilingualism delays the expression of Alzheimer's clinical syndrome. We also found frequent reversion to the first learned language. These findings suggest that, among bilinguals, the availability of an L1 "back-up" either facilitates compensation or masks emergence of the early symptoms of dementia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bilingualism Delays Expression of Alzheimer’s Clinical Syndrome

Mendez¹,

Chavez²,

Akhlaghipour³

2019

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord

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“…Further, a similar study by Alladi et al (2016) comparing monolingual and bilingual stroke patients found that bilinguals had a significantly lower frequency of post-stroke dementia and mild cognitive impairment but the same frequency of post-stroke aphasia. Moreover, Atkinson (2016) reviewed nine papers and concluded that frequent use of two languages over a lifetime may be protective against dementia, and that inconsistencies arise due to study design or definitions of bilingualism. This evidence supports the protective effect of bilingualism against the symptoms of dementia ( Bialystok et al, 2016 ), as well as the later onset of symptoms of mild cognitive impairment compared to monolinguals ( Bialystok et al, 2014 ).…”

Section: Does Bilingualism Protect Against Dementia?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Uncovering the Mechanisms Responsible for Why Language Learning May Promote Healthy Cognitive Aging

Antoniou

Wright

2017

Front. Psychol.

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One of the great challenges facing humankind in the 21st century is preserving healthy brain function in our aging population. Individuals over 60 are the fastest growing age group in the world, and by 2050, it is estimated that the number of people over the age of 60 will triple. The typical aging process involves cognitive decline related to brain atrophy, especially in frontal brain areas and regions that subserve declarative memory, loss of synaptic connections, and the emergence of neuropathological symptoms associated with dementia. The disease-state of this age-related cognitive decline is Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, which may cause older adults to lose their independence and rely on others to live safely, burdening family members and health care systems in the process. However, there are two lines of research that offer hope to those seeking to promote healthy cognitive aging. First, it has been observed that lifestyle variables such as cognitive leisure activities can moderate the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, which has led to the development of plasticity-based interventions for older adults designed to protect against the adverse effects of cognitive decline. Second, there is evidence that lifelong bilingualism acts as a safeguard in preserving healthy brain function, possibly delaying the incidence of dementia by several years. In previous work, we have suggested that foreign language learning programs aimed at older populations are an optimal solution for building cognitive reserve because language learning engages an extensive brain network that is known to overlap with the regions negatively affected by the aging process. Here, we will outline potential future lines of research that may uncover the mechanism responsible for the emergence of language learning related brain advantages, such as language typology, bi- vs. multi-lingualism, age of acquisition, and the elements that are likely to result in the largest gains.

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“…However, some studies suggest that the relationship between bilingualism and the onset of dementia relies on a specific type of bilingualism. For instance, Atkinson (2016) reported that bilingualism acquired during childhood may protect against dementia, while bilingualism acquired during adulthood does not seem to have any such effect.…”

Section: Introduction and Scope Of The Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Is there electrophysiological evidence for a bilingual advantage in neural processes related to executive functions?

Cespón

Carreiras

2020

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

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Over the last two decades, a large number of studies have concluded that bilingualism enhances executive functions. However, other studies have reported no significant results. In addition, it is not clear how bilingualism might modulate specific executive control processes. Event-related potentials (ERP) are an excellent technique for identifying whether the neural correlates of executive control processes are strengthened by bilingualism, given their high temporal resolution.On the basis of previous research into the ERP correlates of executive functions, we hypothesize that specific ERP differences between monolinguals and bilinguals can be considered to indicate a bilingual advantage in executive functions. We then review the very limited number of studies that have investigated ERP differences between monolinguals and bilinguals during the performance of executive control tasks. Overall, we conclude that the existence of a bilingual advantage in neural processing related to executive functions remains uncertain and further studies are required. We highlight the utility of investigating several ERPs that have been ignored by previous studies.

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Does Bilingualism Delay the Development of Dementia?

Cited by 10 publications

References 35 publications

Bilingualism Delays Expression of Alzheimer’s Clinical Syndrome

Bilingualism Delays Expression of Alzheimer’s Clinical Syndrome

Uncovering the Mechanisms Responsible for Why Language Learning May Promote Healthy Cognitive Aging

Is there electrophysiological evidence for a bilingual advantage in neural processes related to executive functions?

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