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Chapter 9. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve and Alzheimer’s disease

A review of findings

Abstract

Increasing our understanding about neuroprotective lifestyle variables has become a practical imperative in our aging society. Cognitive reserve (CR) refers to the use brain resources in a way that allows for coping with neuropathology and maintaining cognitive functioning. A growing body of evidence suggests that bilingualism may represent a form of CR against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The purpose of the present review is to summarize both behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for bilingualism as a reserve variable against AD. The potential influences of literacy, intelligence, immigration status are discussed. Evidence is reviewed suggesting that bilingualism may delay clinical AD symptoms by protecting against age-related declines in the brain’s executive control circuitry. It is suggested that such potential beneficial effects within executive control systems may enable bilinguals to circumvent the typical effects of AD pathology on symptom expression for several years.

Abstract

Increasing our understanding about neuroprotective lifestyle variables has become a practical imperative in our aging society. Cognitive reserve (CR) refers to the use brain resources in a way that allows for coping with neuropathology and maintaining cognitive functioning. A growing body of evidence suggests that bilingualism may represent a form of CR against Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The purpose of the present review is to summarize both behavioral and neuroimaging evidence for bilingualism as a reserve variable against AD. The potential influences of literacy, intelligence, immigration status are discussed. Evidence is reviewed suggesting that bilingualism may delay clinical AD symptoms by protecting against age-related declines in the brain’s executive control circuitry. It is suggested that such potential beneficial effects within executive control systems may enable bilinguals to circumvent the typical effects of AD pathology on symptom expression for several years.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. The importance of bilingualism for the aging brain 1
  4. Chapter 2. Cognitive problems in older adults 9
  5. Chapter 3. How aging and bilingualism influence language processing 21
  6. Chapter 4. Length of residence 55
  7. Chapter 5. Individual differences in cognitive control advantages of elderly late Dutch-English bilinguals 77
  8. Chapter 6. Does bilingual language control decline in older age? 99
  9. Chapter 7. Auditory word recognition across the lifespan 131
  10. Chapter 8. Executive control processes in verbal and nonverbal working memory 161
  11. Chapter 9. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve and Alzheimer’s disease 185
  12. Chapter 10. The effect of language skills on dementia in a Swedish longitudinal cohort 205
  13. Chapter 11. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve, aging, and dementia 219
  14. Chapter 12. The impact of bilingualism on cognitive ageing and dementia 243
  15. Chapter 13. History-inspired reflections on the Bilingual Advantages Hypothesis 265
  16. Index 297
Growing Old with Two Languages
This chapter is in the book Growing Old with Two Languages
https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.53.09gol

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Chapter 1. The importance of bilingualism for the aging brain 1
  4. Chapter 2. Cognitive problems in older adults 9
  5. Chapter 3. How aging and bilingualism influence language processing 21
  6. Chapter 4. Length of residence 55
  7. Chapter 5. Individual differences in cognitive control advantages of elderly late Dutch-English bilinguals 77
  8. Chapter 6. Does bilingual language control decline in older age? 99
  9. Chapter 7. Auditory word recognition across the lifespan 131
  10. Chapter 8. Executive control processes in verbal and nonverbal working memory 161
  11. Chapter 9. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve and Alzheimer’s disease 185
  12. Chapter 10. The effect of language skills on dementia in a Swedish longitudinal cohort 205
  13. Chapter 11. Bilingualism, cognitive reserve, aging, and dementia 219
  14. Chapter 12. The impact of bilingualism on cognitive ageing and dementia 243
  15. Chapter 13. History-inspired reflections on the Bilingual Advantages Hypothesis 265
  16. Index 297
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