51
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Cognitive and brain reserve in bilinguals: field overview and explanatory mechanisms. JOURNAL OF CULTURAL COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s41809-020-00058-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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52
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Danylkiv A, Krafnick AJ. A Meta-Analysis of Gray Matter Differences Between Bilinguals and Monolinguals. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:146. [PMID: 32390815 PMCID: PMC7191056 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilingualism is of great interest to the neuroscience of language, and understanding the anatomical changes associated with second language learning help inform theories of bilingual advantage across the lifespan. While the literature on structural differences between bilinguals and monolinguals is robust, relatively few studies of gray matter (GM) have directly compared bilinguals with monolinguals in a whole-brain analysis. Overall, this and heterogeneity of study samples and methodology have led to a lack of clear anatomical support for major theories. Here, we engage in an activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies of GM for cases that directly compare bilingual and monolingual subjects in a whole-brain analysis. The analysis (sixteen foci, from ten contrasts across eight studies) resulted in one cluster located primarily within the anterior lobe of the right cerebellum. However, when the one pediatric study was removed, the analysis revealed no consistent results across the studies included in this meta-analysis. This suggests that for VBM studies of bilingual and monolingual adults there is considerable heterogeneity of results that complicate the understanding of the bilingual brain. Future studies will need to include larger, more well-defined samples and interrogate more fine-grained anatomical features such as cortical thickness and surface area in order to more fully examine the anatomical changes associated with bilingualism across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiya Danylkiv
- Psychology Department, Dominican University, River Forest, IL, United States
| | - Anthony J Krafnick
- Psychology Department, Dominican University, River Forest, IL, United States
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53
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Rosenich E, Hordacre B, Paquet C, Koblar SA, Hillier SL. Cognitive Reserve as an Emerging Concept in Stroke Recovery. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2020; 34:187-199. [PMID: 32089097 DOI: 10.1177/1545968320907071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability. It is a complex and largely heterogeneous condition. Prognosis for variations in impairment and recovery following stroke continues to be challenging and inaccurate, highlighting the need to examine the influence of other currently unknown variables to better predict and understand interindividual differences in stroke impairment and recovery. The concept of "cognitive reserve," a feature of brain function said to moderate the relationship between brain pathology and clinical outcomes, might provide a partial explanation. This review discusses the potential significance of cognitive reserve in the context of stroke, with reference to reduced burden of disability poststroke, health promotion, intervention and secondary prevention of cognitive impairment, ease and challenges of translation into clinical practice, prognosis and prediction of recovery, and clinical decisions and trial stratification. Discussions from the review aim to encourage stroke clinicians and researchers to better consider the role of premorbid, lifestyle-related variables, such as cognitive reserve, in facilitating successful neurological outcomes and recovery following stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Rosenich
- University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Brenton Hordacre
- University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Catherine Paquet
- University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Simon A Koblar
- University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Susan L Hillier
- University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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54
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Costumero V, Marin-Marin L, Calabria M, Belloch V, Escudero J, Baquero M, Hernandez M, Ruiz de Miras J, Costa A, Parcet MA, Ávila C. A cross-sectional and longitudinal study on the protective effect of bilingualism against dementia using brain atrophy and cognitive measures. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2020; 12:11. [PMID: 31924269 PMCID: PMC6954576 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-0581-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Background Evidence from previous studies suggests that bilingualism contributes to cognitive reserve because bilinguals manifest the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) up to 5 years later than monolinguals. Other cross-sectional studies demonstrate that bilinguals show greater amounts of brain atrophy and hypometabolism than monolinguals, despite sharing the same diagnosis and suffering from the same symptoms. However, these studies may be biased by possible pre-existing between-group differences. Methods In this study, we used global parenchymal measures of atrophy and cognitive tests to investigate the protective effect of bilingualism against dementia cross-sectionally and prospectively, using a sample of bilinguals and monolinguals in the same clinical stage and matched on sociodemographic variables. Results Our results suggest that the two groups did not differ in their cognitive status at baseline, but bilinguals had less parenchymal volume than monolinguals, especially in areas related to brain atrophy in dementia. In addition, a longitudinal prospective analysis revealed that monolinguals lost more parenchyma and had more cognitive decline than bilinguals in a mean follow-up period of 7 months. Conclusion These results provide the first prospective evidence that bilingualism may act as a neuroprotective factor against dementia and could be considered a factor in cognitive reserve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Costumero
- Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain.,ERI Lectura, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lidon Marin-Marin
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - Marco Calabria
- Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Joaquín Escudero
- Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Miguel Baquero
- Neurology Unit, University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mireia Hernandez
- Department of Cognition, Development, and Educational Psychology Section of Cognitive Processes, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Cognition and Brain Plasticity Group, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
| | | | - Albert Costa
- Center for Brain and Cognition, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria-Antònia Parcet
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - César Ávila
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain.
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55
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Bilingual language processing: A meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:834-853. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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56
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Is there a bilingual advantage on interference-control tasks? A multiverse meta-analysis of global reaction time and interference cost. Psychon Bull Rev 2019; 26:1122-1147. [PMID: 30815795 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-019-01567-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A contentious issue in contemporary psycholinguistics is whether bilingualism enhances executive functions. Here, we report a meta-analysis of 80 studies (253 effect sizes) comparing performance of monolinguals and bilinguals on non-verbal interference-control tasks, while examining potential moderators of effects on two dependent variables (DVs): global reaction time (RT) and interference cost. We used a multiverse approach to determine how robust conclusions were to several dataset construction and analysis decisions. In our "preferred" analysis, using a broad definition of bilinguals and standard versions of interference-control tasks, there was a very small but significant bilingual advantage for global RT (g =.13), which became non-significant once corrected for publication bias. For interference cost, there was a very small but significant bilingual advantage (g =.11). Effects were not significantly moderated by task or participant age, but were moderated by an interaction between age of second language acquisition (AoA) and the DV. Unexpectedly, larger effect sizes for interference cost were observed for studies involving bilinguals with late as opposed to early AoA. The multiverse analysis produced results largely consistent with the preferred analysis, confirming our conclusion that evidence for a bilingual advantage on interference-control tasks is weak.
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57
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Bartha-Doering L, Bonelli S. Epilepsy and Bilingualism. A Systematic Review. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1235. [PMID: 31849811 PMCID: PMC6893901 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: In patients with epilepsy, language abilities and neural language organization have been primarily investigated for the patient's mother tongue. However, in clinical practice, many patients use more than one language or use their second language more than their mother tongue. Yet, information about the linguistic profiles and brain organization of both languages in bilingual epilepsy patients is scarce. The purpose of this study was thus to systematically review the literature on language localization and language abilities in bilingual patients with epilepsy. Methods: An extensive literature search was performed using various electronic databases, including Embase and Medline. Key aspects of inclusion criteria were the assessment of language abilities and/or the investigation of neural language mapping in bilingual patients with epilepsy. Results: Our search strategy yielded 155 articles on language in bilingual epilepsy patients. Of these, 12 met final eligibility criteria. The majority of included articles focused on brain mapping of language using fMRI, Wada-test, or electrocortical stimulation in bilingual epilepsy patients, five studies investigated interictal language abilities in this patient group. Study results showed a pronounced heterogeneity of language abilities in bilingual patients, varying from intact language profiles to impairment in several language functions in both languages. However, the mother tongue was most often better perserved than the second language. Furthermore, studies on brain mapping of both languages again revealed heterogeneous findings ranging from identical brain regions for both languages to overlapping, but more distributed cortical areas for the non-native language. Conclusions: This review underlines the need to evaluate linguistic abilities in both languages, as well as the necessity to preoperatively map both languages in bilingual epilepsy patients. In contrast to the large scientific interest in language abilities and language localization in monolingual epilepsy patients, this review shows that in bilingual patients, the examination of language functions and the identification of brain regions associated with both languages so far played a minor role in epilepsy research. Our review thus emphasizes the need of future research activities in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Bartha-Doering
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Silvia Bonelli
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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58
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Kim S, Jeon SG, Nam Y, Kim HS, Yoo DH, Moon M. Bilingualism for Dementia: Neurological Mechanisms Associated With Functional and Structural Changes in the Brain. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1224. [PMID: 31798405 PMCID: PMC6868000 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
As the number of older adults increases, the prevalence of dementias, such as Alzheimer’s dementia (AD), vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementias, also increases. Despite research into pharmacological approaches for treating diverse diseases, there is still no cure. Recently, novel non-pharmacological interventions are attracting attention. Non-pharmacological approaches include cognitive stimulation, alterations in diet, physical activity, and social engagement. Cognitive stimulating activities protect against the negative effects of cognitive decline caused by age-related neurogenerative diseases. Bilingualism is one form of cognitive stimulation that requires multiple aspects of brain activity and has been shown to delay the onset of dementia symptoms in patients by approximately 4–5 years as compared with monolingual patients through cognitive reserve. The purpose of this review was to bilingualism protects against cognitive decline associated with AD and other dementias. We discuss potential underlying neurological mechanisms, including: (1) stimulating adult neurogenesis, (2) enhancing synaptogenesis, (3) strengthening functional connectivity that bilingualism may delay clinical AD symptoms, (4) protecting white matter integrity, and (5) preserving gray matter density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujin Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Seong Gak Jeon
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Yunkwon Nam
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hyeon Soo Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Doo-Han Yoo
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Konyang University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Minho Moon
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Konyang University, Daejeon, South Korea
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59
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Del Maschio N, Fedeli D, Sulpizio S, Abutalebi J. The relationship between bilingual experience and gyrification in adulthood: A cross-sectional surface-based morphometry study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 198:104680. [PMID: 31465990 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2019.104680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging evidence suggests that bilingualism may act as a source of neural plasticity. However, prior work has mostly focused on bilingualism-induced alterations in gray matter volume and white matter tract microstructure, with additional effects related to other neurostructural indices that might have remained undetected. The degree of cortical folding or gyrification is a morphometric parameter which provides information about changes on the brain's surface during development, aging and disease. We used Surface-based Morphometry (SBM) to investigate the contribution of bilingual experience to gyrification from early adulthood to old age in a sample of bilinguals and monolingual controls. Despite widespread cortical folding reductions for all participants with increasing age, preserved gyrification exclusive to bilinguals was detected in the right cingulate and entorhinal cortices, regions vulnerable with normal and pathological brain aging. Our results provide novel insights on experience-related cortical reshaping and bilingualism-induced cortical plasticity in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Del Maschio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano 20132, Italy
| | - Davide Fedeli
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano 20132, Italy
| | - Simone Sulpizio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano 20132, Italy
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano 20132, Italy.
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60
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Dash T, Berroir P, Joanette Y, Ansaldo AI. Alerting, Orienting, and Executive Control: The Effect of Bilingualism and Age on the Subcomponents of Attention. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1122. [PMID: 31736852 PMCID: PMC6831726 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Life-long experience of using two or more languages has been shown to enhance cognitive control abilities in young and elderly bilinguals in comparison to their monolingual peers. This advantage has been found to be larger in older adults in comparison to younger adults, suggesting that bilingualism provides advantages in cognitive control abilities. However, studies showing this effect have used a variety of tasks (Simon Task, Stroop task, Flanker Task), each measuring different subcomponents of attention and raising mixed results. At the same time, attention is not a unitary function but comprises of subcomponents which can be distinctively addressed within the Attention Network Test (ANT) (1, 2). The purpose of this work was to examine the neurofunctional correlates of the subcomponents of attention in healthy young and elderly bilinguals taking into account the L2 age of acquisition, language usage, and proficiency. Participants performed an fMRI version of the ANT task, and speed, accuracy, and BOLD data were collected. As expected, results show slower overall response times with increasing age. The ability to take advantage of the warning cues also decreased with age, resulting in reduced alerting and orienting abilities in older adults. fMRI results showed an increase in neurofunctional activity in the frontal and parietal areas in elderly bilinguals when compared to young bilinguals. Furthermore, higher L2 proficiency correlated negatively with activation in frontal area, and that faster RTs correlated negatively with activation in frontal and parietal areas. Such a correlation, especially with L2 proficiency was not present in young bilinguals and provides evidence for a bilingual advantage in the alerting subcomponent of attention that characterizes elderly bilinguals' performance. This study thus provides extra details about the bilingual advantage in the subcomponent of attention, in older bilinguals. Consequently, speaking more than one language impacts cognition and the brain later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Dash
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Berroir
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves Joanette
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ana Inés Ansaldo
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Faculté de médecine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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61
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Zirnstein M, van Hell JG, Kroll JF. Cognitive control and language ability contribute to online reading comprehension: Implications for older adult bilinguals. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BILINGUALISM : CROSS-DISCIPLINARY, CROSS-LINGUISTIC STUDIES OF LANGUAGE BEHAVIOR 2019; 23:971-985. [PMID: 38883556 PMCID: PMC11177779 DOI: 10.1177/1367006918763143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Aims Previous research has indicated that young adults form predictions for the meaning of upcoming words when contexts are highly constrained. This can lead to processing benefits when expectations are met, but also costs, as indicated by a late, frontally distributed and positive event-related potential (ERP), when an unexpected word is encountered. This effect has been associated with the conflict that arises for prediction errors, as well as attempts to suppress a previously formed prediction. However, individual differences have been found for young adult bilingual and older adult monolingual readers, whereby only those who exhibited better language regulation and executive function skill showed this pattern. The goal of the current study was to investigate how these executive functions influence comprehension skill and behavior for elderly bilinguals. Approach We asked whether older adult monolinguals and bilinguals were capable of generating predictions online, and whether cognitive control and language regulation ability were related to the magnitude of prediction costs. Data and Analysis Participants (N = 27) read sentences while their electroencephalogram was recorded, and completed a battery of language and cognitive performance tasks. Findings While older adult monolinguals showed some sensitivity to prediction error, older adult bilinguals produced greater prediction costs, an effect that was significantly correlated with both age and control ability. Originality This study is the first to show ERP evidence that bilinguals are capable of forming predictions during comprehension in older adulthood. Significance These results have important implications for the ways in which bilingualism may influence comprehension across the lifespan. While healthy aging has been proposed to lead to declines in executive function these declines may be mitigated for bilinguals, who have a wealth of experience in negotiating language-related conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Zirnstein
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, USA
| | | | - Judith F Kroll
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, USA; Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, USA
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62
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Mendez MF. Bilingualism and Dementia: Cognitive Reserve to Linguistic Competency. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 71:377-388. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-190397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mario F. Mendez
- V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, CA, USA
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63
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Smirnov DS, Stasenko A, Salmon DP, Galasko D, Brewer JB, Gollan TH. Distinct structural correlates of the dominant and nondominant languages in bilinguals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuropsychologia 2019; 132:107131. [PMID: 31271821 PMCID: PMC6702045 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2019.107131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Structural adaptations in brain regions involved in domain-general cognitive control are associated with life-long bilingualism and may contribute to the executive function advantage of bilinguals over monolinguals. To the degree that these adaptations support bilingualism, their disruption by Alzheimer's disease (AD) may compromise the ability to maintain proficiency in two languages, particularly in the less proficient, or nondominant, language that has greater control demands. The present study assessed this possibility in Spanish-English bilinguals with AD (n = 21) and cognitively normal controls (n = 30) by examining the brain correlates of dominant versus nondominant language performance on the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT), adjusting for age and education. There were no significant structural correlates of naming performance for either language in controls. In patients with AD, dominant language MINT performance was associated with cortical thickness of the entorhinal cortex and middle temporal gyrus, consistent with previous findings of temporal atrophy and related decline of naming abilities in AD. Nondominant language MINT performance, in contrast, was correlated with thickness of the left caudal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a central cognitive control region involved in error monitoring and task switching. The relationship between naming in the nondominant language and ACC in patients with AD but not in controls may reflect increased reliance on the ACC for nondominant language use in the face of atrophy of other control network components. The results are consistent with the possibility that the increased burden nondominant language use places on cognitive control systems compromised in AD may account for faster nondominant than dominant language decline in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis S Smirnov
- Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, United States.
| | - Alena Stasenko
- San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - David P Salmon
- Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Douglas Galasko
- Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - James B Brewer
- Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, United States
| | - Tamar H Gollan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, United States
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64
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Nielsen TR, Antelius E, Waldemar G. Cognitive Advantages in Adult Turkish Bilingual Immigrants - a Question of the Chicken or the Egg. J Cross Cult Gerontol 2019; 34:115-129. [PMID: 31119462 DOI: 10.1007/s10823-019-09375-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A number of studies suggest both cognitive disadvantages and advantages of bilingualism. In the current study, it is attempted to provide an account of the cognitive advantages associated with bilingualism in a Turkish immigrant population in Denmark.The total sample consisted of 71 middle-aged and older adults born and raised in Turkey who had migrated to Denmark in their teenage years or later. All participants were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery and degree of Turkish-Danish bilingualism was estimated via rater assessment according to a three-point scale. Associations between bilingualism and cognitive function were established for five cognitive domains: executive function, memory, language, visuospatial function and speed. Analysis of covariance was used to estimate the independent association between bilingualism and cognitive function for each cognitive domain. Covariates included education, gender, ethnicity, and proportion of life lived in Denmark. In unadjusted analyses, greater degree of bilingualism was associated with better executive functioning (p < .001), visuospatial functioning (p = .002) and speed (p < .001). However, in analyses adjusted for covariates only executive functioning (p = .01) and task switching ability (p = .01) remained significant, while a trend for better memory function was found in those with a high degree of bilingualism (p = .07).The current study indicates that bilingual Turkish immigrants have better executive functioning and episodic memory compared to Turkish immigrant monolinguals. Whether this is due to the effects of bilingualism or reflects inherent cognitive abilities in those able to acquire bilingualism in later life remains to be resolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Rune Nielsen
- Danish Dementia Research Center, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, section 6922, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
| | - Eleonor Antelius
- Center for Dementia Research, Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Gunhild Waldemar
- Danish Dementia Research Center, Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Center, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, section 6922, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
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65
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Delgado-Losada ML, Rubio-Valdehita S, Lopez-Higes R, Rodríguez-Rojo IC, Prados Atienza JM, García-Cid S, Montenegro M. How cognitive reserve influences older adults' cognitive state, executive functions and language comprehension: A structural equation model. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2019; 84:103891. [PMID: 31228674 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2019.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive reserve has been defined as the individuals' ability to tolerate age-related and neurodegenerative changes in the brain without developing clinical symptoms or signs of disease. Formal education, occupational attainment, and knowledge of other languages have been assessed as the most relevant factors determining cognitive reserve. The main objective of this study was to develop a structural equation model that reflects the direct influence of cognitive reserve on old adults' general cognitive status and executive functioning, and indirectly on sentence comprehension performance through executive functions mediation. One hundred and fifty eight Spanish-speaking older adults, cognitively intact, were assessed to obtain cognitive reserve data, general cognitive status, executive functioning (inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility), and sentence comprehension measures. High indicators of adjustment of the proposed model were obtained. The most related factors to cognitive reserve were education and occupational attainment. As we hypothesize, cognitive reserve had a higher direct significant relation to cognitive status and, in a lesser extent, to executive functioning. Participants' general cognitive status and executive function were high and directly related. Furthermore, cognitive reserve has an indirect positive relation to sentence comprehension via executive functions' mediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Luisa Delgado-Losada
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas s/n, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Rubio-Valdehita
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas s/n, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ramon Lopez-Higes
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas s/n, 28223, Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - José M Prados Atienza
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas s/n, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sophie García-Cid
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas s/n, 28223, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Montenegro
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas s/n, 28223, Madrid, Spain
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66
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Diaz Abrahan V, Shifres F, Justel N. Cognitive Benefits From a Musical Activity in Older Adults. Front Psychol 2019; 10:652. [PMID: 30984074 PMCID: PMC6447697 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The aging population is growing rapidly. Proposing interventions that enhance the cognitive functions or strategies that delay the onset of disabilities associated with age is a topic of capital interest for the biopsychosocial health of our species. In this work, we employed musical improvisation as a focal environmental activity to explore its ability to improve memory in older adults. We present two studies: the first one evaluated neutral memory using the Rey Complex Figure (RCF) and the second one evaluated emotional memory using International Affective Picture System (IAPS). A group of 132 volunteers, between the ages of 60 and 90, participated in this investigation. Fifty-one of them were musicians with more than 5 years of formal musical training. After acquisition of neutral (Study 1) or emotional (Study 2) information, the groups of older adults were exposed to music improvisation (experimental intervention) or music imitation (control intervention) for 3 min. We then evaluated memory through two tasks (free recall and recognition), by means of immediate and deferred measures (after a week). We found a significant improvement in memory among participants involved in music improvisation, who remembered more items of the RCF and images from IAPS than the imitation group, both in the immediate and deferred evaluation. On the other hand, participants who had musical knowledge had a better performance in neutral visual memory than non-musicians. Our results suggest that a focal musical activity can be a useful intervention in older adults to promote an enhancement in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Diaz Abrahan
- Laboratorio Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia Cognitiva (LINC), Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios en Sistemas Complejos y Ciencias del Cerebro (CEMSC3), Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología (ECyT), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Favio Shifres
- Departamento de Música, Facultad de Bellas Artes (FBA), Laboratorio para el Estudio de la Experiencia Musical (LEEM), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Nadia Justel
- Laboratorio Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia Cognitiva (LINC), Centro de Estudios Multidisciplinarios en Sistemas Complejos y Ciencias del Cerebro (CEMSC3), Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología (ECyT), Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
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67
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Hayakawa S, Marian V. Consequences of multilingualism for neural architecture. Behav Brain Funct 2019; 15:6. [PMID: 30909931 PMCID: PMC6432751 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-019-0157-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Language has the power to shape cognition, behavior, and even the form and function of the brain. Technological and scientific developments have recently yielded an increasingly diverse set of tools with which to study the way language changes neural structures and processes. Here, we review research investigating the consequences of multilingualism as revealed by brain imaging. A key feature of multilingual cognition is that two or more languages can become activated at the same time, requiring mechanisms to control interference. Consequently, extensive experience managing multiple languages can influence cognitive processes as well as their neural correlates. We begin with a brief discussion of how bilinguals activate language, and of the brain regions implicated in resolving language conflict. We then review evidence for the pervasive impact of bilingual experience on the function and structure of neural networks that support linguistic and non-linguistic cognitive control, speech processing and production, and language learning. We conclude that even seemingly distinct effects of language on cognitive operations likely arise from interdependent functions, and that future work directly exploring the interactions between multiple levels of processing could offer a more comprehensive view of how language molds the mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayuri Hayakawa
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Viorica Marian
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
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68
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Anthony M, Lin F. A Systematic Review for Functional Neuroimaging Studies of Cognitive Reserve Across the Cognitive Aging Spectrum. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 33:937-948. [PMID: 29244054 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acx125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Cognitive reserve has been proposed to explain the discrepancy between clinical symptoms and the effects of aging or Alzheimer's pathology. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) may help elucidate how neural reserve and compensation delay cognitive decline and identify brain regions associated with cognitive reserve. This systematic review evaluated neural correlates of cognitive reserve via fMRI (resting-state and task-related) studies across the cognitive aging spectrum (i.e., normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease). Method This review examined published articles up to March 2017. There were 13 cross-sectional observational studies that met the inclusion criteria, including relevance to cognitive reserve, subjects 60 years or older with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and/or Alzheimer's disease, at least one quantitative measure of cognitive reserve, and fMRI as the imaging modality. Quality assessment of included studies was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. Results Across the cognitive aging spectrum, medial temporal regions and an anterior or posterior cingulate cortex-seeded default mode network were associated with neural reserve. Frontal regions and the dorsal attentional network were related to neural compensation. Compared to neural reserve, neural compensation was more common in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Conclusions Neural reserve and compensation both support cognitive reserve, with compensation more common in later stages of the cognitive aging spectrum. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to investigate changes between neural reserve and compensation during the transition between clinical stages, and to explore the causal relationship between cognitive reserve and potential neural substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Anthony
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Feng Lin
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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69
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Jiao L, Liu C, Liang L, Plummer P, Perfetti CA, Chen B. The contributions of language control to executive functions: From the perspective of bilingual comprehension. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2019; 72:1984-1997. [DOI: 10.1177/1747021818821601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that bilingual production experience has beneficial effects on executive functions. In the current study, four experiments were conducted to investigate whether bilingual comprehension experience influences executive functions. In Experiments 1 and 2, Chinese–English bilinguals completed a flanker task interleaved with a language comprehension task (reading comprehension in Experiment 1 and listening comprehension in Experiment 2). There were three blocks distinguished by language context, with a Chinese (L1) block, an English (L2) block, and a mixed (L1 and L2) block. Results showed that performance in the mixed block was better on both congruent and incongruent flanker trials when compared with the L1 and L2 blocks, indicating better monitoring functions overall. In Experiments 3 and 4 (reading comprehension and listening comprehension, respectively), participants were also exposed to three language contexts (i.e., L1, L2, and mixed block) but performed a non-conflict control task that did not require any conflict resolution. The results of Experiments 3 and 4 showed similar performance under the three different language contexts. Taken together, these results indicate that language control mechanisms involved in bilingual comprehension contribute to domain-general executive control performance. The results suggest a monitoring mechanism establishes a bridge connecting executive functions and bilingual language control during comprehension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Jiao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lijuan Liang
- School of English and Education, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China
| | - Patrick Plummer
- Department of Psychology, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Charles A Perfetti
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Baoguo Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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70
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Samuel S, Roehr‐Brackin K, Pak H, Kim H. Cultural Effects Rather Than a Bilingual Advantage in Cognition: A Review and an Empirical Study. Cogn Sci 2018; 42:2313-2341. [DOI: 10.1111/cogs.12672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven Samuel
- Department of Psychology University of Essex
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge
| | | | | | - Hyunji Kim
- Faculty of Psychology University of Vienna
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71
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Beyond volume: A surface-based approach to bilingualism-induced grey matter changes. Neuropsychologia 2018; 117:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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72
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Del Maschio N, Sulpizio S, Fedeli D, Ramanujan K, Ding G, Weekes BS, Cachia A, Abutalebi J. ACC Sulcal Patterns and Their Modulation on Cognitive Control Efficiency Across Lifespan: A Neuroanatomical Study on Bilinguals and Monolinguals. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:3091-3101. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a key structure implicated in the regulation of cognitive control (CC). Previous studies suggest that variability in the ACC sulcal pattern—a neurodevelopmental marker unaffected by maturation or plasticity after birth—is associated with intersubject differences in CC performance. Here, we investigated whether bilingual experience modulates the effects of ACC sulcal variability on CC performance across the lifespan. Using structural MRI, we first established the distribution of the ACC sulcal patterns in a large sample of healthy individuals (N = 270) differing on gender and ethnicity. Second, a participants’ subsample (N = 157) was selected to test whether CC performance was differentially affected by ACC sulcation in bilinguals and monolinguals across age. A prevalent leftward asymmetry unaffected by gender or ethnicity was reported. Sulcal variability in the ACC predicted CC performance differently in bilinguals and monolinguals, with a reversed pattern of structure–function relationship: asymmetrical versus symmetrical ACC sulcal patterns were associated with a performance advantage in monolinguals and a performance detriment to bilinguals and vice versa. Altogether, these findings provide novel insights on the dynamic interplay between early neurodevelopment, environmental background and cognitive efficiency across age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Del Maschio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Simone Sulpizio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Davide Fedeli
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
| | - Keerthi Ramanujan
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guosheng Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Brendan S Weekes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Arnaud Cachia
- Laboratory for the Psychology of Child Development and Education, Sorbonne, CNRS UMR8240, Paris, France
- Paris Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
- Imaging Biomarkers for Brain Development and Disorders, Ste Anne Hospital, INSERM UMR894, Paris, France
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milano, Italy
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
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73
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Del Maschio N, Sulpizio S, Gallo F, Fedeli D, Weekes BS, Abutalebi J. Neuroplasticity across the lifespan and aging effects in bilinguals and monolinguals. Brain Cogn 2018; 125:118-126. [PMID: 29990701 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Evidence that bilingualism protects against age-related neurocognitive decline is mixed. One relatively consistent finding is that bilingual seniors have greater grey matter volume (GMV) in regions implicated in executive control (EC) and language processing. Here, we compare the neuroplastic effects of bilingual experience on the EC network of young and aging populations directly, and for the first time we evaluate the extent to which such effects may predict executive control performance across age. We used GMV as an index of neural reserve and response time (RT) performance on the Flanker task for measuring EC efficiency. In the presence of age-related widespread GM deterioration, bilinguals had greater GMV than monolinguals in key regions of interest across age. Moreover, whereas EC performance in monolingual seniors was strictly related to GMV, this was not observed for bilingual seniors or younger participants in either group. Interactions between expected effects-of-age and language group on the relationships between GMV and RT suggested that bilingualism affords differential benefits across the lifespan. In younger participants, greater GMV offered no behavioral benefit on EC performance, whilst it did for seniors. It thus appears that age-related cognitive decline following GMV loss in the EC network is delayed in bilinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Del Maschio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Sulpizio
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Gallo
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Fedeli
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Brendan S Weekes
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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74
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Beyond bilingualism: multilingual experience correlates with caudate volume. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3495-3502. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1695-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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75
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Hämäläinen S, Mäkelä N, Sairanen V, Lehtonen M, Kujala T, Leminen A. TMS uncovers details about sub-regional language-specific processing networks in early bilinguals. Neuroimage 2018; 171:209-221. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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76
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Borsa VM, Perani D, Della Rosa PA, Videsott G, Guidi L, Weekes BS, Franceschini R, Abutalebi J. Bilingualism and healthy aging: Aging effects and neural maintenance. Neuropsychologia 2018; 111:51-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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77
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Anderson JAE, Grundy JG, De Frutos J, Barker RM, Grady C, Bialystok E. Effects of bilingualism on white matter integrity in older adults. Neuroimage 2018; 167:143-150. [PMID: 29175203 PMCID: PMC5845836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilingualism can delay the onset of dementia symptoms and has thus been characterized as a mechanism for cognitive or brain reserve, although the origin of this reserve is unknown. Studies with young adults generally show that bilingualism is associated with a strengthening of white matter, but there is conflicting evidence for how bilingualism affects white matter in older age. Given that bilingualism has been shown to help stave off the symptoms of dementia by up to four years, it is crucial that we clarify the mechanism underlying this reserve. The current study uses diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to compare monolinguals and bilinguals while carefully controlling for potential confounds (e.g., I.Q., MMSE, and demographic variables). We show that group differences in Fractional Anisotropy (FA) and Radial Diffusivity (RD) arise from multivariable interactions not adequately controlled for by sequential bivariate testing. After matching and statistically controlling for confounds, bilinguals still had greater axial diffusivity (AD) in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus than monolingual peers, supporting a neural reserve account for healthy older bilinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John G Grundy
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jaisalmer De Frutos
- Laboratory of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, Center for Biomedical Technology, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; Biological and Health Psychology Department, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ryan M Barker
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cheryl Grady
- Baycrest Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Canada
| | - Ellen Bialystok
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Baycrest Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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78
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Abstract
Bilingualism and its cognitive impacts have drawn increasing interest. Recently, inconsistencies in the findings have raised discussions on what might have caused such discrepancies and how evidence should be evaluated. This review tries to shed new light onto the reasons for the inconsistencies by taking a novel perspective. Motivated by the finding that bilingualism affects response time distribution profiles, particularly findings that suggest bilinguals have fewer long responses, we investigated the relation between maximum response times allowed/included in the analysis of an experiment and the finding of a bilingual advantage. We reviewed 68 experiments from 33 articles that compared monolingual and bilingual speakers' performance in three commonly used non-verbal interference tasks (Simon, Spatial Stroop and Flanker). We found that studies that included longer responses in their analysis were more likely to report a bilingualism effect. We conclude that seemingly insignificant details such as the data trimming procedure can have a potential impact on whether an effect is observed. We also discuss the implication of our findings and suggest the usefulness of more fine-grid analytical procedures.
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79
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Duncan HD, Nikelski J, Pilon R, Steffener J, Chertkow H, Phillips NA. Structural brain differences between monolingual and multilingual patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease: Evidence for cognitive reserve. Neuropsychologia 2018; 109:270-282. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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80
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Antoniou M, Wright SM. Uncovering the Mechanisms Responsible for Why Language Learning May Promote Healthy Cognitive Aging. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2217. [PMID: 29326636 PMCID: PMC5736569 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
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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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Antoniou
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sarah M Wright
- The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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81
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Rossi E, Cheng H, Kroll JF, Diaz MT, Newman SD. Changes in White-Matter Connectivity in Late Second Language Learners: Evidence from Diffusion Tensor Imaging. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2040. [PMID: 29209263 PMCID: PMC5702476 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Morphological brain changes as a consequence of new learning have been widely established. Learning a second language (L2) is one such experience that can lead to rapid structural neural changes. However, still relatively little is known about how levels of proficiency in the L2 and the age at which the L2 is learned influence brain neuroplasticity. The goal of this study is to provide novel evidence for the effect of bilingualism on white matter structure in relatively proficient but late L2 learners who acquired the second language after early childhood. Overall, the results demonstrate a significant effect on white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) as a function of L2 learning. Higher FA values were found in a broad white matter network including the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), the Uncinate Fasciculus (UF), and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). Moreover, FA values were correlated with age of L2 acquisition, suggesting that learning an L2, even past childhood, induces neural changes. Finally, these results provide some initial evidence that variability in the age of L2 acquisition has important consequences for neural plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Rossi
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Hu Cheng
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Judith F. Kroll
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Michele T. Diaz
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Sharlene D. Newman
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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82
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Liu YC, Liu YY, Yip PK, Meguro M, Meguro K. Speaking one more language in early life has only minor effects on cognition in Taiwanese with low education level: the Taishan Project. Psychogeriatrics 2017; 17:256-261. [PMID: 28133849 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence shows that bilingualism or multilingualism may have beneficial effects on preventing dementia. We performed a cross-sectional, community-based study in Taiwan. Some elders (older than 70 years) in Taiwan can speak Japanese because of the formal Japanese education they received before World War II, when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. After the war, Mandarin Chinese was adopted as the official language of Taiwan. We assessed whether constantly using three languages had an effect on dementia prevalence and cognitive function. METHODS We defined multilingualism as the ability to fluently speak Taiwanese (T), Japanese (J), and Mandarin Chinese (C) in daily life. We evaluated the Mini-Mental State Examination and AD8 questionnaire results of 514 community-dwelling people older than 70 years in Taishan, Taiwan. RESULTS Seventy-three of the subjects (14.2%) were multilingual (T, J, C) and 441 (85.8%) were bilingual (T, C). No difference was noted in dementia prevalence between multilingual (6.8%) and bilingual (7.4%) populations, but multilinguals were older than bilinguals (mean age: 79.9 vs 77.3 years). Multilinguals had higher Mini-Mental State Examination scores than bilinguals (mean: 24.6 vs. 22.7). However, after the subjects were stratified into low and high education level groups, the Mini-Mental State Examination difference was found to be significant in only the low education level group. CONCLUSIONS Dementia prevalence did not significantly differ between the multilingual (T, J, C) and bilingual (T, C) groups. However, given that the average age of the multilingual group was approximately 2 years older than that of the bilingual group, there may have been minor effects in the multilingual group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Chien Liu
- Division of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, CYRIC, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.,Neurological Center of Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Fu Jen University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Ying Liu
- Fu Jen University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Keung Yip
- Neurological Center of Cardinal Tien Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Fu Jen University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mitsue Meguro
- Division of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, CYRIC, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kenichi Meguro
- Division of Geriatric Behavioral Neurology, CYRIC, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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83
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Li L, Abutalebi J, Emmorey K, Gong G, Yan X, Feng X, Zou L, Ding G. How bilingualism protects the brain from aging: Insights from bimodal bilinguals. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:4109-4124. [PMID: 28513102 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 03/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Bilingual experience can delay cognitive decline during aging. A general hypothesis is that the executive control system of bilinguals faces an increased load due to controlling two languages, and this increased load results in a more "tuned brain" that eventually creates a neural reserve. Here we explored whether such a neuroprotective effect is independent of language modality, i.e., not limited to bilinguals who speak two languages but also occurs for bilinguals who use a spoken and a signed language. We addressed this issue by comparing bimodal bilinguals to monolinguals in order to detect age-induced structural brain changes and to determine whether we can detect the same beneficial effects on brain structure, in terms of preservation of gray matter volume (GMV), for bimodal bilinguals as has been reported for unimodal bilinguals. Our GMV analyses revealed a significant interaction effect of age × group in the bilateral anterior temporal lobes, left hippocampus/amygdala, and left insula where bimodal bilinguals showed slight GMV increases while monolinguals showed significant age-induced GMV decreases. We further found through cortical surface-based measurements that this effect was present for surface area and not for cortical thickness. Moreover, to further explore the hypothesis that overall bilingualism provides neuroprotection, we carried out a direct comparison of GMV, extracted from the brain regions reported above, between bimodal bilinguals, unimodal bilinguals, and monolinguals. Bilinguals, regardless of language modality, exhibited higher GMV compared to monolinguals. This finding highlights the general beneficial effects provided by experience handling two language systems, whether signed or spoken. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4109-4124, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, University Vita Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Karen Emmorey
- Laboratory for Language and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, California
| | - Gaolang Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxia Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China
| | - Lijuan Zou
- College of Psychology and Education, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, 277100, People's Republic of China
| | - Guosheng Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, People's Republic of China
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84
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Felton A, Vazquez D, Ramos-Nunez AI, Greene MR, McDowell A, Hernandez AE, Chiarello C. Bilingualism Influences Structural Indices of Interhemispheric Organization. JOURNAL OF NEUROLINGUISTICS 2017; 42:1-11. [PMID: 28579694 PMCID: PMC5450970 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2016.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Bilingualism represents an interesting model of possible experience-dependent alterations in brain structure. The current study examines whether interhemispheric adaptations in brain structure are associated with bilingualism. Corpus callosum volume and cortical thickness asymmetry across 13 regions of interest (selected to include critical language and bilingual cognitive control areas) were measured in a sample of Spanish-English bilinguals and age- and gender-matched monolingual individuals (N = 39 per group). Cortical thickness asymmetry of the anterior cingulate region differed across groups, with thicker right than left cortex for bilinguals and the reverse for monolinguals. In addition, two adjacent regions of the corpus callosum (mid-anterior and central) had greater volume in bilinguals. The findings suggest that structural indices of interhemispheric organization in a critical cognitive control region are sensitive to variations in language experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Felton
- University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, USA 92521
| | - David Vazquez
- University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, USA 92521
| | | | - Maya R. Greene
- University of Houston, 4800 Calhoun Rd., Houston, TX, USA 77004
| | - Alessandra McDowell
- University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, USA 92521
| | | | - Christine Chiarello
- University of California, Riverside, 900 University Ave., Riverside, CA, USA 92521
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85
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Incera S, McLennan CT. Bilingualism and age are continuous variables that influence executive function. AGING NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2017; 25:443-463. [PMID: 28436757 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2017.1319902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed the effects of bilingualism and age on executive function. We examined these variables along a continuum, as opposed to dichotomizing them. We investigated the impact that bilingualism and age have on two measures of executive control (Stroop and Flanker). The mouse-tracking paradigm allowed us to examine the continuous dynamics of the responses as participants completed each trial. First, we found that the Stroop effect was reduced with younger age and higher levels of bilingualism; however, no Bilingualism by Age interaction emerged. Second, after controlling for baseline, the Flanker effect was not influenced by bilingualism or age. These results support the notion that bilingualism is one way of enhancing some aspects of executive function - specifically those related to the Stroop task - across the adult life span. In sum, different levels of bilingualism, and different ages, result in varying degrees of executive function as measured by the Stroop task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Incera
- a Language Research Laboratory, Department of Psychology , Cleveland State University , Cleveland , Ohio , USA.,b Department of Psychology , Eastern Kentucky University , Richmond , Kentucky , USA
| | - Conor T McLennan
- a Language Research Laboratory, Department of Psychology , Cleveland State University , Cleveland , Ohio , USA
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86
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Grundy JG, Anderson JAE, Bialystok E. Neural correlates of cognitive processing in monolinguals and bilinguals. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017; 1396:183-201. [PMID: 28415142 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Here, we review the neural correlates of cognitive control associated with bilingualism. We demonstrate that lifelong practice managing two languages orchestrates global changes to both the structure and function of the brain. Compared with monolinguals, bilinguals generally show greater gray matter volume, especially in perceptual/motor regions, greater white matter integrity, and greater functional connectivity between gray matter regions. These changes complement electroencephalography findings showing that bilinguals devote neural resources earlier than monolinguals. Parallel functional findings emerge from the functional magnetic resonance imaging literature: bilinguals show reduced frontal activity, suggesting that they do not need to rely on top-down mechanisms to the same extent as monolinguals. This shift for bilinguals to rely more on subcortical/posterior regions, which we term the bilingual anterior-to-posterior and subcortical shift (BAPSS), fits with results from cognitive aging studies and helps to explain why bilinguals experience cognitive decline at later stages of development than monolinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Grundy
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Ellen Bialystok
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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87
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Perani D, Farsad M, Ballarini T, Lubian F, Malpetti M, Fracchetti A, Magnani G, March A, Abutalebi J. The impact of bilingualism on brain reserve and metabolic connectivity in Alzheimer's dementia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:1690-1695. [PMID: 28137833 PMCID: PMC5320960 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610909114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive reserve (CR) prevents cognitive decline and delays neurodegeneration. Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that lifelong bilingualism may act as CR delaying the onset of dementia by ∼4.5 y. Much controversy surrounds the issue of bilingualism and its putative neuroprotective effects. We studied brain metabolism, a direct index of synaptic function and density, and neural connectivity to shed light on the effects of bilingualism in vivo in Alzheimer's dementia (AD). Eighty-five patients with probable AD and matched for disease duration (45 German-Italian bilingual speakers and 40 monolingual speakers) were included. Notably, bilingual individuals were on average 5 y older than their monolingual peers. In agreement with our predictions and with models of CR, cerebral hypometabolism was more severe in the group of bilingual individuals with AD. The metabolic connectivity analyses crucially supported the neuroprotective effect of bilingualism by showing an increased connectivity in the executive control and the default mode networks in the bilingual, compared with the monolingual, AD patients. Furthermore, the degree of lifelong bilingualism (i.e., high, moderate, or low use) was significantly correlated to functional modulations in crucial neural networks, suggesting both neural reserve and compensatory mechanisms. These findings indicate that lifelong bilingualism acts as a powerful CR proxy in dementia and exerts neuroprotective effects against neurodegeneration. Delaying the onset of dementia is a top priority of modern societies, and the present in vivo neurobiological evidence should stimulate social programs and interventions to support bilingual or multilingual education and the maintenance of the second language among senior citizens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Perani
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy;
- In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Mohsen Farsad
- Nuclear Medicine Unit, Azienda Sanitaria dell'Alto Adige, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Tommaso Ballarini
- In Vivo Human Molecular and Structural Neuroimaging Unit, Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Lubian
- Memory Clinic, Geriatric Department, Azienda Sanitaria dell'Alto Adige, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Maura Malpetti
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Magnani
- Department of Neurology, San Raffaele Hospital, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Albert March
- Memory Clinic, Geriatric Department, Azienda Sanitaria dell'Alto Adige, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We discuss the role of bilingualism as a source of cognitive reserve and we propose the putative neural mechanisms through which lifelong bilingualism leads to a neural reserve that delays the onset of dementia. RECENT FINDINGS Recent findings highlight that the use of more than one language affects the human brain in terms of anatomo-structural changes. It is noteworthy that recent evidence from different places and cultures throughout the world points to a significant delay of dementia onset in bilingual/multilingual individuals. This delay has been reported not only for Alzheimer's dementia and its prodromal mild cognitive impairment phase, but also for other dementias such as vascular and fronto-temporal dementia, and was found to be independent of literacy, education and immigrant status. SUMMARY Lifelong bilingualism represents a powerful cognitive reserve delaying the onset of dementia by approximately 4 years. As to the causal mechanism, because speaking more than one language heavily relies upon executive control and attention, brain systems handling these functions are more developed in bilinguals resulting in increases of gray and white matter densities that may help protect from dementia onset. These neurocognitive benefits are even more prominent when second language proficiency and exposure are kept high throughout life.
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89
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Does Bilingualism Delay the Development of Dementia? JOURNAL OF EUROPEAN PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS 2016. [DOI: 10.5334/jeps.375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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90
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Dong Y, Liu Y. Classes in Translating and Interpreting Produce Differential Gains in Switching and Updating. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1297. [PMID: 27625620 PMCID: PMC5003826 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The present longitudinal study was intended to investigate whether the two bilingual experiences of written translation and consecutive interpreting (featured with similar language switching experience but different processing demands) would produce different cognitive control effects in young adults. Three groups of Chinese-English young adult bilinguals, who differed mainly in their half-year long bilingual experience: one for general L2 training, one for written translation and one for oral consecutive interpreting, were tested twice on the number Stroop, switching color-shape and N-back tasks. The results show that the interpreting experience produced significant cognitive advantages in switching (switch cost) and updating, while the translating experience produced marginally significant improvements in updating. The findings indicate that the experience of language switching under higher processing demands brings more domain-general advantages, suggesting that processing demand may be a decisive factor for the presence or absence of the hot-debated bilingual advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Dong
- Bilingual Cognition and Development Lab/Center of Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign StudiesGuangzhou, China
| | - Yuhua Liu
- College of Foreign Studies, South China Agricultural UniversityGuangzhou, China
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91
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On the overlap between bilingual language control and domain-general executive control. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2016; 166:21-30. [PMID: 27043252 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
We explored the overlap between bilingual language control (bLC) and domain-general executive control (EC) by focusing on inhibitory control processes. We tested 62 bilinguals in linguistic and non-linguistic switching tasks for two types of costs, such as the n-1 shift cost and the n-2 repetition cost. In order to explore the involvement of inhibitory control in bLC and EC, we assessed the pattern of switch costs in the two tasks and then we correlated them between tasks. Results showed reduced n-2 repetition costs as compared to n-1 shift costs in the linguistic task only, suggesting that small amount of inhibition were deployed when switching between languages. Importantly, neither the n-1 shift costs nor the n-2 repetition costs were correlated between tasks. These results, supported by additional evidence from the ex-Gaussian analysis, suggest that inhibitory control is differently involved in bLC and in EC.
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92
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Schroeder SR, Marian V. Cognitive Consequences of Trilingualism. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BILINGUALISM : CROSS-DISCIPLINARY, CROSS-LINGUISTIC STUDIES OF LANGUAGE BEHAVIOR 2016; 21:754-773. [PMID: 29151803 PMCID: PMC5693318 DOI: 10.1177/1367006916637288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The objectives of the present research were to examine the cognitive consequences of trilingualism and explain them relative to the cognitive consequences of bilingualism. APPROACH A comparison of cognitive abilities in trilinguals and bilinguals was conducted. In addition, we proposed a cognitive plasticity framework to account for cognitive differences and similarities between trilinguals and bilinguals. DATA AND ANALYSIS Three aspects of cognition were analyzed: (1) cognitive reserve in older adults, as measured by age of onset of Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment; (2) inhibitory control in children and younger adults, as measured by response times on behavioral Simon and flanker tasks; and (3) memory generalization in infants and toddlers, as measured by accuracy on behavioral deferred imitation tasks. Results were considered within a framework of cognitive plasticity, which took into account several factors that may affect plasticity, including the age of learning a third language and the extent to which additional cognitive resources are needed to learn the third language. FINDINGS A mixed pattern of results was observed. In some cases, such as cognitive reserve in older adults, trilinguals showed larger advantages than bilinguals. On other measures, for example inhibitory control in children and younger adults, trilinguals were found to exhibit the same advantages as bilinguals. In still other cases, like memory generalization in infants and toddlers, trilinguals did not demonstrate the advantages seen in bilinguals. ORIGINALITY This study is the first comprehensive analysis of how learning a third language affects the cognitive abilities that are modified by bilingual experience, and the first to propose a cognitive plasticity framework that can explain and predict trilingual-bilingual differences. SIGNIFICANCE This research shows that the cognitive consequences of trilingualism are not simply an extension of bilingualism's effects; rather, trilingualism has distinct consequences, with theoretical implications for our understanding of linguistic and cognitive processes and their plasticity, as well as applied-science implications for using second and third language learning in educational and rehabilitative contexts to foster successful cognitive development and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott R Schroeder
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University
| | - Viorica Marian
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University
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93
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Rossi E, Diaz MT. How aging and bilingualism influence language processing: theoretical and neural models. LINGUISTIC APPROACHES TO BILINGUALISM 2016; 6:9-42. [PMID: 28919933 PMCID: PMC5600288 DOI: 10.1075/lab.14029.ros] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Healthy non-pathological aging is characterized by cognitive and neural decline, and although language is one of the more stable areas of cognition, older adults often show deficits in language production, showing word finding failures, increased slips of the tongue, and increased pauses in speech. Overall, research on language comprehension in older healthy adults show that it is more preserved than language production. Bilingualism has been shown to confer a great deal of neuroplasticity across the life span, including a number of cognitive benefits especially in executive functions such as cognitive control. Many models of bilingual language processing have been proposed to explain bilingual language processing. However, the question remains open of how such models might be modulated by age-related changes in language. Here, we discuss how current models of language processing in non-pathological aging, and models of bilingual language processing can be integrated to provide new research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Rossi
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Pomona, CA, USA
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