title: How does speaking another language reduce the risk of dementia?
abstract: Recently the question of whether or not bilingualism may protect against the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become a topic of great interest. Previous studies suggest that being bilingual slows the decline in executive control associated with the aging process. Spurred by these positive findings in normal subjects, investigators have tried to determine if being bilingual may be associated with delayed onset of AD. A number of studies collectively suggest that being bilingual may lead to a delay in the diagnosis of AD by as much as 5 years, even when taking into account confounders. Although a recent landmark study provides physical evidence confirming this advantage in AD patients, further work needs to be done to clarify its' neuroanatomical basis.
authors.affiliation: The Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Corinne E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Tom A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Schweizer
mesh_terms: D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D056344:Executive Function; D006801:Humans; D019303:Multilingualism