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Burmistrov DE, Gudkov SV, Franceschi C, Vedunova MV. Sex as a Determinant of Age-Related Changes in the Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7122. [PMID: 39000227 PMCID: PMC11241365 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The notion of notable anatomical, biochemical, and behavioral distinctions within male and female brains has been a contentious topic of interest within the scientific community over several decades. Advancements in neuroimaging and molecular biological techniques have increasingly elucidated common mechanisms characterizing brain aging while also revealing disparities between sexes in these processes. Variations in cognitive functions; susceptibility to and progression of neurodegenerative conditions, notably Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases; and notable disparities in life expectancy between sexes, underscore the significance of evaluating aging within the framework of gender differences. This comprehensive review surveys contemporary literature on the restructuring of brain structures and fundamental processes unfolding in the aging brain at cellular and molecular levels, with a focus on gender distinctions. Additionally, the review delves into age-related cognitive alterations, exploring factors influencing the acceleration or deceleration of aging, with particular attention to estrogen's hormonal support of the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitriy E. Burmistrov
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilova St., 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Sergey V. Gudkov
- Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilova St., 119991 Moscow, Russia;
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Claudio Franceschi
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
| | - Maria V. Vedunova
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 23 Gagarin Ave., 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
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2
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Kalaria R, Maestre G, Mahinrad S, Acosta DM, Akinyemi RO, Alladi S, Allegri RF, Arshad F, Babalola DO, Baiyewu O, Bak TH, Bellaj T, Brodie‐Mends DK, Carrillo MC, Celestin K, Damasceno A, de Silva RK, de Silva R, Djibuti M, Dreyer AJ, Ellajosyula R, Farombi TH, Friedland RP, Garza N, Gbessemehlan A, Georgiou EE, Govia I, Grinberg LT, Guerchet M, Gugssa SA, Gumikiriza‐Onoria JL, Hogervorst E, Hornberger M, Ibanez A, Ihara M, Issac TG, Jönsson L, Karanja WM, Lee JH, Leroi I, Livingston G, Manes FF, Mbakile‐Mahlanza L, Miller BL, Musyimi CW, Mutiso VN, Nakasujja N, Ndetei DM, Nightingale S, Novotni G, Nyamayaro P, Nyame S, Ogeng'o JA, Ogunniyi A, de Oliveira MO, Okubadejo NU, Orrell M, Paddick S, Pericak‐Vance MA, Pirtosek Z, Potocnik FCV, Raman R, Rizig M, Rosselli M, Salokhiddinov M, Satizabal CL, Sepulveda‐Falla D, Seshadri S, Sexton CE, Skoog I, George‐Hyslop PHS, Suemoto CK, Thapa P, Udeh‐Momoh CT, Valcour V, Vance JM, Varghese M, Vera JH, Walker RW, Zetterberg H, Zewde YZ, Ismail O. The 2022 symposium on dementia and brain aging in low- and middle-income countries: Highlights on research, diagnosis, care, and impact. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:4290-4314. [PMID: 38696263 PMCID: PMC11180946 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Two of every three persons living with dementia reside in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The projected increase in global dementia rates is expected to affect LMICs disproportionately. However, the majority of global dementia care costs occur in high-income countries (HICs), with dementia research predominantly focusing on HICs. This imbalance necessitates LMIC-focused research to ensure that characterization of dementia accurately reflects the involvement and specificities of diverse populations. Development of effective preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches for dementia in LMICs requires targeted, personalized, and harmonized efforts. Our article represents timely discussions at the 2022 Symposium on Dementia and Brain Aging in LMICs that identified the foremost opportunities to advance dementia research, differential diagnosis, use of neuropsychometric tools, awareness, and treatment options. We highlight key topics discussed at the meeting and provide future recommendations to foster a more equitable landscape for dementia prevention, diagnosis, care, policy, and management in LMICs. HIGHLIGHTS: Two-thirds of persons with dementia live in LMICs, yet research and costs are skewed toward HICs. LMICs expect dementia prevalence to more than double, accompanied by socioeconomic disparities. The 2022 Symposium on Dementia in LMICs addressed advances in research, diagnosis, prevention, and policy. The Nairobi Declaration urges global action to enhance dementia outcomes in LMICs.
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Grants
- P30AG066506 National Institute of Aging (NIA)
- P01 HD035897 NICHD NIH HHS
- R13 AG066391 NIA NIH HHS
- International Society for Neurochemistry
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development
- R01 AG075775 NIA NIH HHS
- Bluefield Project, the Olav Thon Foundation, the Erling-Persson Family Foundation, Stiftelsen för Gamla Tjänarinnor, Hjärnfonden, Sweden
- U19 AG074865 NIA NIH HHS
- UH3 NS100605 NINDS NIH HHS
- R01AG072547 Multi partner Consortium for Dementia Research in Latino America-Dominican Republic (LATAM-FINGERS)
- ASP/06/RE/2012/18 University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
- D43 TW011532 FIC NIH HHS
- UF1 NS125513 NINDS NIH HHS
- 2019-02397 Swedish Research Council
- FLR/R1/191813 UK Royal Society/African Academy of Sciences
- R01 AG054076 NIA NIH HHS
- GOK: Government of Karnataka
- R56 AG074467 NIA NIH HHS
- R21 AG069252 NIA NIH HHS
- RF1 AG059421 NIA NIH HHS
- R56 AG061837 NIA NIH HHS
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)
- 1R01AG068472-01 National Institute of Aging (NIA)
- FCG/R1/201034 UK Royal Society/African Academy of Sciences
- Appel à Projet des Equipes Émergentes et Labellisées scheme (APREL)
- Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF)
- R01 AG062588 NIA NIH HHS
- 1R01AG070883 University of Wisconsin, Madison
- U01 HG010273 NHGRI NIH HHS
- R25 TW011214 FIC NIH HHS
- ASP/06/RE/2013/28 University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
- R01 AG052496 NIA NIH HHS
- R01 AG080468 NIA NIH HHS
- RBM: Rotary Bangalore Midtown
- U19 AG068054 NIA NIH HHS
- ADSF-21-831376-C Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation
- ADSF-21-831377-C Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation
- Canadian Institute of Health Research
- U19 AG078558 NIA NIH HHS
- 1P30AG066546-01A1 National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- RF1 AG059018 NIA NIH HHS
- National Research Foundation (NRF)
- P30 AG062422 NIA NIH HHS
- LSIPL: M/s Lowes Services India Private Limited
- UKDRI-1003 UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL
- U19AG074865 Multi partner Consortium for Dementia Research in Latino America-Dominican Republic (LATAM-FINGERS)
- P01 AG019724 NIA NIH HHS
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, United Kingdom
- R01 AG066524 NIA NIH HHS
- RF1 AG063507 NIA NIH HHS
- WCUP/Ph.D./19B 2013 University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), Sri Lanka
- WCUP/Ph.D./19/2013 University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), Sri Lanka
- GBHI ALZ UK-21-724359 Pilot Award for Global Brain Health Leaders
- R01AG080468-01 National Institute of Aging (NIA)
- U01 AG058589 NIA NIH HHS
- R01 AG057234 NIA NIH HHS
- SP/CIN/2016/02) Ministry of Primary Industries, Sri Lanka
- R01 AG072547 NIA NIH HHS
- U01 AG051412 NIA NIH HHS
- P30 AG059305 NIA NIH HHS
- Alzheimer's Association, USA
- R35 AG072362 NIA NIH HHS
- R01 NS050915 NINDS NIH HHS
- P30 AG066546 NIA NIH HHS
- 2022-01018 Swedish Research Council
- U19 AG063893 NIA NIH HHS
- ALFGBG-71320 Swedish State Support for Clinical Research
- U01 AG052409 NIA NIH HHS
- 1R13AG066391-01 National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- R01 AG21051 NIH and the Fogarty International Center [FIC]
- DP1AG069870 National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie
- U19 AG078109 NIA NIH HHS
- Chinese Neuroscience Society, China
- RF1 AG061872 NIA NIH HHS
- DP1 AG069870 NIA NIH HHS
- P30 AG066506 NIA NIH HHS
- Wellcome Trust
- U01HG010273 Multi partner Consortium for Dementia Research in Latino America-Dominican Republic (LATAM-FINGERS)
- JPND2021-00694 European Union Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research
- ASP/06/RE/2010/07 University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka
- Rainwater Charitable Foundation - The Bluefield project to cure FTD, and Global Brain Health Institute
- 101053962 European Union's Horizon Europe
- R01 AG058464 NIA NIH HHS
- R01 AG068472 NIA NIH HHS
- Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, USA
- UL1 TR001873 NCATS NIH HHS
- SG-21-814756 National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- 201809-2016862 Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation
- UK National Health Service, Newcastle University,
- R01 AG058918 NIA NIH HHS
- National Institute for Health and Care Research University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre
- Wellcome Trust, UK
- ADSF-21-831381-C Alzheimer Drug Discovery Foundation
- Health Professionals Education Partnership Initiative Ethiopia
- ANR-09-MNPS-009-01 French National Research Agency
- R01 AG062562 NIA NIH HHS
- AXA Research Fund
- ICMR: Indian Council for Medical Research
- R01 AG070883 NIA NIH HHS
- International Society for Neurochemistry
- French National Research Agency
- AXA Research Fund
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
- National Council for Scientific and Technological Development
- Swedish Research Council
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj Kalaria
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Gladys Maestre
- Departments of Neuroscience and Human GeneticsUniversity of Texas Rio Grande ValleyOne W. University BlvdBrownsvilleTexasUSA
| | - Simin Mahinrad
- Division of Medical and Scientific RelationsAlzheimer's AssociationChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Daisy M. Acosta
- Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena (UNPHU)Santo DomingoDominican Republic
| | - Rufus Olusola Akinyemi
- Neuroscience and Ageing Research UnitInstitute for Advanced Medical Research and TrainingCollege of MedicineUniversity of IbadanIbadanOyoNigeria
| | - Suvarna Alladi
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Ricardo F. Allegri
- Fleni Neurological InstituteBuenos AiresArgentina
- Department of NeurosciencesUniversidad de la Costa (CUC)BarranquillaColombia
| | - Faheem Arshad
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Maria C. Carrillo
- Division of Medical and Scientific RelationsAlzheimer's AssociationChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Kaputu‐Kalala‐Malu Celestin
- Department of NeurologyCentre Neuropsychopathologique (CNPP)Kinshasa University Teaching HospitalUniversity of KinshasaKinshasaRepublic Democratic of the Congo
| | | | - Ranil Karunamuni de Silva
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Innovation in Biotechnology and NeuroscienceFaculty of Medical SciencesUniversity of Sri JayewardenepuraNugegodaSri Lanka
- Institute for Combinatorial Advanced Research and Education (KDU‐CARE)General Sir John Kotelawala Defence UniversityRatmalanaSri Lanka
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute and Department of ClinicalMovement NeuroscienceUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Mamuka Djibuti
- Partnership for Research and Action for Health (PRAH)TbilisiGeorgia
| | | | - Ratnavalli Ellajosyula
- Cognitive Neurology ClinicManipal Hospitaland Annasawmy Mudaliar HospitalBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)ManipalKarnatakaIndia
| | | | | | - Noe Garza
- Department of Neuroscience and Human GeneticsUniversity of Texas Rio Grande ValleyHarlingenTexasUSA
| | - Antoine Gbessemehlan
- Inserm U1094, IRD U270University of LimogesCHU Limoges, EpiMaCT ‐ Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases in Tropical ZoneInstitute of Epidemiology and Tropical NeurologyOmegaHealthLimogesFrance
- Inserm, Bordeaux Population Health Research CenterUniversity of BordeauxBordeauxFrance
| | - Eliza Eleni‐Zacharoula Georgiou
- Department of PsychiatryPatras University General HospitalFaculty of Medicine, School of Health SciencesUniversity of PatrasPatrasGreece
| | - Ishtar Govia
- Caribbean Institute for Health ResearchThe University of the West Indies, JamaicaWest IndiesJamaica
- Institute for Global HealthUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- Department of Neurology and PathologyUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of Sao PauloR. da Reitoria, R. Cidade UniversitáriaSão PauloSao PauloBrazil
| | - Maëlenn Guerchet
- Inserm U1094, IRD U270University of LimogesCHU Limoges, EpiMaCT ‐ Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases in Tropical ZoneInstitute of Epidemiology and Tropical NeurologyOmegaHealthLimogesFrance
| | - Seid Ali Gugssa
- Department of NeurologySchool of MedicineAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | | | - Eef Hogervorst
- Loughborough UniversityLoughboroughUK
- Respati UniversityYogyakartaIndonesia
| | | | - Agustin Ibanez
- Latin American Institute for Brain Health (BrainLat)Universidad Adolfo IbanezPeñalolénSantiagoChile
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)University California San Francisco (UCSF)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)Trinity College DublinLloyd Building Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center (CNC)Universidad de San Andrés, and National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET)VictoriaProvincia de Buenos AiresArgentina
| | - Masafumi Ihara
- Department of NeurologyNational Cerebral and Cardiovascular CenterSuitaOsakaJapan
| | - Thomas Gregor Issac
- Centre for Brain ResearchIndian Institute of Science (IISc)BengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Linus Jönsson
- Department of NeurobiologyCare Science and Society, section for NeurogeriatricsKarolinska Institute, SolnavägenSolnaSweden
| | - Wambui M. Karanja
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)Trinity College DublinLloyd Building Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
- Brain and Mind InstituteAga Khan UniversityNairobiKenya
| | - Joseph H. Lee
- Sergievsky CenterTaub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging BrainDepartments of Neurology and EpidemiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Iracema Leroi
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)Trinity College DublinLloyd Building Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | | | - Facundo Francisco Manes
- Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT)INECO FoundationFavaloro UniversityBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Lingani Mbakile‐Mahlanza
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)University California San Francisco (UCSF)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- University of BotswanaGaboroneBotswana
| | - Bruce L. Miller
- Department of NeurologyMemory and Aging CenterUniversity of California San Francisco Weill Institute for NeurosciencesSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Victoria N. Mutiso
- Africa Mental Health Research and Training FoundationNairobiKenya
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of NairobiNairobiKenya
- World Psychiatric Association Collaborating Centre for Research and TrainingNairobiKenya
| | | | - David M. Ndetei
- Africa Mental Health Research and Training FoundationNairobiKenya
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of NairobiNairobiKenya
- World Psychiatric Association Collaborating Centre for Research and TrainingNairobiKenya
| | - Sam Nightingale
- Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Gabriela Novotni
- University Clinic of NeurologyMedical Faculty University Ss Cyril and Methodius Institute for Alzheimer's Disease and NeuroscienceSkopjeNorth Macedonia
| | - Primrose Nyamayaro
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)Trinity College DublinLloyd Building Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
- Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesUniversity of ZimbabweHarareZimbabwe
| | - Solomon Nyame
- Kintampo Health Research CentreGhana Health ServiceHospital RoadNear Kintampo‐north Municipal HospitalKintampoGhana
| | | | | | - Maira Okada de Oliveira
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)University California San Francisco (UCSF)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)Trinity College DublinLloyd Building Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
- Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General HospitalHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Cognitive Neurology and Behavioral Unit (GNCC)University of Sao PauloR. da Reitoria, R. Cidade UniversitáriaSão PauloSao PauloBrazil
| | - Njideka U. Okubadejo
- Neurology UnitDepartment of MedicineFaculty of Clinical SciencesCollege of MedicineUniversity of LagosYabaLagosNigeria
| | - Martin Orrell
- Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Stella‐Maria Paddick
- Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation TrustSheriff HillTyne and WearUK
| | - Margaret A. Pericak‐Vance
- John P Hussman Institute for Human GenomicsMiller School of MedicineUniversity of MiamiCoral GablesFloridaUSA
- Dr. John T Macdonald Foundation Department of Human GeneticsUniversity of Miami Miller School of MedicineCoral GablesFloridaUSA
| | - Zvezdan Pirtosek
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity Medical Centre LjubljanaLjubljanaSlovenia
| | - Felix Claude Victor Potocnik
- Old Age Psychiatry Unit, Depth PsychiatryStellenbosch UniversityWestern Cape, Stellenbosch CentralStellenboschSouth Africa
| | - Rema Raman
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Mie Rizig
- Department of Neuromuscular DiseasesUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyQueen SquareLondonUK
| | - Mónica Rosselli
- Department of PsychologyCharles E. Schmidt College of ScienceFlorida Atlantic UniversityBoca RatonFloridaUSA
- Florida Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | | | - Claudia L. Satizabal
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative DiseasesUniversity of Texas Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioTexasUSA
- Department of NeurologyBoston University School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
- The Framingham Heart StudyFraminghamMassachusettsUSA
| | - Diego Sepulveda‐Falla
- Molecular Neuropathology of Alzheimer's DiseaseInstitute of NeuropathologyUniversity Medical Center Hamburg‐EppendorfHamburgGermany
| | - Sudha Seshadri
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases and South Texas ADRCUT Health San AntonioSan AntonioTexasUSA
- University of Texas Health Sciences CenterSan AntonioTexasUSA
| | - Claire E. Sexton
- Division of Medical and Scientific RelationsAlzheimer's AssociationChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Ingmar Skoog
- Institute of Neuroscience and FysiologySahlgrenska AcademyUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden
| | - Peter H. St George‐Hyslop
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging BrainDepartment of NeurologyColumbia University Irving Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research and Department of Clinical NeurosciencesSchool of Clinical MedicineUniversity of CambridgeAddenbrookes Biomedical CampusTrumpingtonCambridgeUK
- Department of Medicine (Neurology)Temerty Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Torontoand University Health Network27 King's College CirTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Claudia Kimie Suemoto
- Division of GeriatricsUniversity of Sao Paulo Medical SchoolR. da Reitoria, R. Cidade UniversitáriaSão PauloSao PauloBrazil
| | - Prekshy Thapa
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)Trinity College DublinLloyd Building Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Chinedu Theresa Udeh‐Momoh
- Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI)University California San Francisco (UCSF)San FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
- FINGERS Brain Health Institutec/o Stockholms SjukhemStockholmSweden
- Department of Epidemiology and PreventionWake Forest University School of MedicineWinston‐SalemNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of NeurobiologyCare Sciences and Society (NVS)Division of Clinical GeriatricsKarolinska Institute, SolnavägenSolnaSweden
- Imarisha Centre for Brain health and AgingBrain and Mind InstituteAga Khan UniversityNairobiKenya
| | - Victor Valcour
- Memory and Aging CenterDepartment of NeurologyUniversity of CaliforniaSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jeffery M. Vance
- John P Hussman Institute for Human GenomicsMiller School of MedicineUniversity of MiamiCoral GablesFloridaUSA
| | - Mathew Varghese
- St. John's Medical CollegeSarjapur ‐ Marathahalli Rd, beside Bank Of Baroda, John Nagar, KoramangalaBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Jaime H. Vera
- Department of Global Health and InfectionBrighton and Sussex Medical SchoolBrightonUK
| | - Richard W. Walker
- Population Health Sciences InstituteNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and NeurochemistryInstitute of Neuroscience and Physiologythe Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of GothenburgGöteborgSweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry LaboratorySahlgrenska University HospitalMölndalSweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUCL Institute of NeurologyQueen Square, Queen SquareLondonUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCLUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesClear Water BayHong KongChina
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Yared Z. Zewde
- Department of NeurologySchool of MedicineAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Ozama Ismail
- Division of Medical and Scientific RelationsAlzheimer's AssociationChicagoIllinoisUSA
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Steffener J, Nicholls J, Farghal S, Franklin D. The Beneficial, Formative Role of Lifetime Exposures across Cognitive Domains in Barbados Using Data from the SABE Study. Can J Aging 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38801134 DOI: 10.1017/s0714980824000242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that within older Barbadian adults, sex, education, and occupation type lessen age-related cognitive decline. The analyses used a cross-sectional data set from 1325 people collected in the 2006 SABE Study (Health, Well-being, and Aging). Cognition was assessed as scores in each subdomain of the Mini-Mental State Exam. The loss of a single point in each subdomain was predicted by sex, years of education, job type, and their interactions with age. Results demonstrated that age and protective factors affect each cognitive domain differently. High education combined with mentally complex employment helped maintain cognitive performance in later life. Beneficial lifetime exposures are additive, providing combined benefits. Findings provide insight into public policy aiming to minimize the number of adults with cognitive decline and dementia in Barbados and the Caribbean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Steffener
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Shireen Farghal
- Interdisciplinary School of Health Science, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Dylan Franklin
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Venugopal A, Paplikar A, Varghese FA, Thanissery N, Ballal D, Hoskeri RM, Shekar R, Bhaskarapillai B, Arshad F, Purushothaman VV, Anniappan AB, Rao GN, Alladi S. Protective effect of bilingualism on aging, MCI, and dementia: A community-based study. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:2620-2631. [PMID: 38376105 PMCID: PMC11032525 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lifelong bilingualism is associated with a delayed age at onset of dementia, but evidence from community-based studies is limited. We investigated the relationship between bilingualism and the prevalence of cognitive impairment in a linguistically diverse community. METHODS A door-to-door community study was conducted from January to December 2021 in urban Bengaluru, India. 1234 individuals aged ≥60 years participated in the study. Participants were diagnosed with no cognitive impairment (NCI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia using established diagnostic criteria. RESULTS Dementia prevalence was higher in monolinguals (4.9%) than bilinguals (0.4%) (P = .001). The prevalence of MCI was also higher in monolinguals (8.5%) than bilinguals (5.3%) (P = .001). The study also revealed better cognitive function in bilinguals than monolinguals with NCI, after controlling for confounding variables. DISCUSSION The current study provides significant support for the protective effect of bilingualism on cognitive impairment in an urban community with extensive bilingual interactional contexts in everyday life. HIGHLIGHTS Bilingualism has been demonstrated to protect against dementia and mild cognitive impairment in a linguistically diverse community with extensive code-switching contexts. Bilingual older individuals had superior baseline cognitive performance compared to monolingual older individuals. Bilingualism was found to have an independent effect on general cognition after adjusting for major social determinants of health in the group without cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparna Venugopal
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
- Department of Speech Pathology & AudiologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Avanthi Paplikar
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
- Department of Speech and Language StudiesDr. S. R. Chandrasekhar Institute of Speech and HearingBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Feba Anna Varghese
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Nithin Thanissery
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Divya Ballal
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | | | - Revathi Shekar
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Binukumar Bhaskarapillai
- Department of BiostatisticsNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Faheem Arshad
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | | | | | - Girish Nagaraja Rao
- Department of EpidemiologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
| | - Suvarna Alladi
- Department of NeurologyNational Institute of Mental Health and NeurosciencesBengaluruKarnatakaIndia
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Vega-Mendoza M, Norval RS, Blankinship B, Bak TH. Language Learning for People Living with Dementia and Their Caregivers: Feasibility and the Quality of Experience. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:717. [PMID: 38610141 PMCID: PMC11011596 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12070717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A body of research from around the world has reported positive effects of bilingualism on cognitive ageing and dementia. However, little is known about whether foreign language learning could be applied as an intervention for people already living with dementia. Yet, before it is possible to determine the efficacy of language courses as an intervention for people living with dementia (PLWD), it is necessary to establish whether such an intervention is feasible. Our study explored this possibility. METHODS We conducted an exploratory study to examine the feasibility and tolerability of 2-week Italian beginner courses for PLWD in early stages and their family carers in two Scottish Dementia Resource Centres (DRCs). The courses were delivered by trained tutors from Lingo Flamingo, a social enterprise specialising in language teaching for older learners and learners with dementia. Twelve PLWD and seven carers participated in the study. Focus groups preceded and followed the courses. Additional post-course open interviews with the DRC managers were conducted, with a follow-up via telephone approximately one year later. RESULTS Qualitative content analysis resulted in 12 themes, 5 reflected in the interview schedule and 7 arising from the focus groups and interviews. Overall, the courses were perceived positively by PLWD, carers, and DRC managers, although a few logistically and linguistically challenging aspects were also mentioned. The courses were found to positively impact both the individual by increasing self-esteem and producing a sense of accomplishment as well as the group by creating a sense of community. Notably, no adverse effects (in particular no confusion or frustration) were reported. CONCLUSION The positive outcomes of our study open a novel avenue for future research to explore foreign language training in dementia as an intervention and its implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Vega-Mendoza
- Psychology, Department of Health, Education and Technology, Luleå University of Technology, 971 87 Luleå, Sweden
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; (B.B.); (T.H.B.)
| | | | - Brittany Blankinship
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; (B.B.); (T.H.B.)
- Usher Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AG, UK
| | - Thomas H. Bak
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK; (B.B.); (T.H.B.)
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Downer B, Milani S, Grasso S, Lucas FL, Mehta N. Dual-Language Use and Cognitive Function Among Mexican Americans Aged 65 and Older. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 99:1105-1115. [PMID: 38759004 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Background Better English proficiency and higher frequency of using English among non-native speakers are associated with lower dementia risk. Objective We investigated if Mexican American older adults who use English and Spanish to a more similar degree demonstrate better cognitive function than those who use one language more than the other. Methods We used data from waves one (1992/93) to eight (2012/13) of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly. At baseline, participants were asked what language they usually use across communicative contexts. We based dual language on participants' use of Spanish and English within and across contexts. We categorized participants as low (n = 1,145), medium (n = 717), and high (n = 702) dual-language users. Linear mixed models were used to estimate the association between dual-language use, baseline Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, and change in MMSE. Results Participants in the medium and high dual-language use categories scored 1.91 points and 3.03 points higher at wave one compared to the low dual-language use category. Adjusting for education reduced the association between dual-language use and baseline MMSE (medium B = 0.99 SE = 0.19 p < 0.01; high B = 1.41 SE = 0.21 p < 0.01). The association between dual-language use and decline in the MMSE was not statistically significant. Conclusions Greater dual-language use was associated with higher MMSE scores but not change in MMSE scores among Mexican Americans aged 65 and older. Future work should characterize bilingualism with greater nuance and use more rigorous cognitive measures to identify the components of the bilingual experience that may benefit the cognitive functioning of older adult bilinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Downer
- Department of Population Health and Health Disparities, School of Public and Population Health, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Sealy Center on Aging, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Sadaf Milani
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public and Population Health, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Sealy Center on Aging, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Stephanie Grasso
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Galveston, TX, USA
| | | | - Neil Mehta
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public and Population Health, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Sealy Center on Aging, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
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Sheng Y, Yang S, Rao J, Zhang Q, Li J, Wang D, Zheng W. Age of Bilingual Onset Shapes the Dynamics of Functional Connectivity and Laterality in the Resting-State. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1231. [PMID: 37759832 PMCID: PMC10526135 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13091231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilingualism is known to enhance cognitive function and flexibility of the brain. However, it is not clear how bilingual experience affects the time-varying functional network and whether these changes depend on the age of bilingual onset. This study intended to investigate the bilingual-related dynamic functional connectivity (dFC) based on the resting-state functional magnetic resonance images, including 23 early bilinguals (EBs), 30 late bilinguals (LBs), and 31 English monolinguals. The analysis identified two dFC states, and LBs showed more transitions between these states than monolinguals. Moreover, more frequent left-right switches were found in functional laterality in prefrontal, lateral temporal, lateral occipital, and inferior parietal cortices in EBs compared with LB and monolingual cohorts, and the laterality changes in the anterior superior temporal cortex were negatively correlated with L2 proficiency. These findings highlight how the age of L2 acquisition affects cortico-cortical dFC pattern and provide insight into the neural mechanisms of bilingualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucen Sheng
- School of Foreign Languages, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Songyu Yang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Juan Rao
- School of Electronic and Information Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jialong Li
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Dianjian Wang
- School of Foreign Languages, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Weihao Zheng
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Phani Krishna P, Arulmozi S, Male SR, Mishra RK. Are Older Bilinguals' Better in Metaphor Generation? JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLINGUISTIC RESEARCH 2023; 52:1183-1204. [PMID: 36715812 DOI: 10.1007/s10936-022-09929-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Metaphor, as widely known, is a figure of speech where a word or phrase is used to describe an object, action, or event to which it cannot be applied exactly. Metaphors are often used figuratively to enable clarity or emphasize the similarities between the two things in a frame. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between cognitive functions and generating metaphor and their associations in older bilingual and monolingual participants. We conducted the experiment with fifty-six (Bilingual and Monolingual) participants in the age group ranging from 50 to 65 years. We administered the novel and conventional metaphor generation task based on vision words in perceptual domain in Telugu. Followed by a battery of cognitive function tests: Flanker task to study the attention, Semantic Fluency task, Corsi task to check working memory, LexTALE to measure the vocabulary, and a language questionnaire. These tasks are used to investigate the association and correlation between the old age bilingual and monolingual in generating vision metaphors. The current study's findings demonstrate that bilinguals have a considerable advantage in cognitive function and their ability to generate novel metaphors are better when compared to monolinguals.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Phani Krishna
- Department of Linguistics, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
- Centre for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
| | - S Arulmozi
- Centre for Applied Linguistics, Translation Studies, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Shiva Ram Male
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Ramesh Kumar Mishra
- Centre for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
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Peitz K, Stumme J, Jockwitz C, Bittner N, Caspers S, Heim S. The influence of bilingualism on gray matter volume in the course of aging: a longitudinal study. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1193283. [PMID: 37547741 PMCID: PMC10400456 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1193283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Bilingualism is associated with higher gray matter volume (GMV) as a form of brain reserve in brain regions such as the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the inferior parietal lobule (IPL). A recent cross-sectional study reported the age-related GMV decline in the left IFG and IPL to be steeper for bilinguals than for monolinguals. The present study aimed at supporting this finding for the first time with longitudinal data. Methods In the current study, 200 participants aged 19 to 79 years (87 monolinguals, 113 sequential bilinguals, mostly native German speakers with variable second language background) were included. Trajectories of GMV decline in the bilateral IFG and IPL were analyzed in mono- and bilinguals over two time points (mean time interval: 3.6 years). For four regions of interest (left/right IFG and left/right IPL), mixed Analyses of Covariance were conducted to assess (i) GMV changes over time, (ii) GMV differences for language groups (monolinguals/bilinguals), and (iii) the interaction between time point and language group. Corresponding analyses were conducted for the two factors of GMV, surface area (SA) and cortical thickness (CT). Results There was higher GMV in bilinguals compared to monolinguals in the IPL, but not IFG. While the left and right IFG and the right IPL displayed a similar GMV change in mono- and bilinguals, GMV decline within the left IPL was significantly steeper in bilinguals. There was greater SA in bilinguals in the bilateral IPL and a steeper CT decline in bilinguals within in the left IPL. Conclusion The cross-sectional observations of a steeper GMV decline in bilinguals could be confirmed for the left IPL. Additionally, the higher GMV in bilinguals in the bilateral IPL may indicate that bilingualism contributes to brain reserve especially in posterior brain regions. SA appeared to contribute to bilinguals' higher GMV in the bilateral IPL, while CT seemed to account for the steeper structural decline in bilinguals in the left IPL. The present findings demonstrate the importance of time as an additional factor when assessing the neuroprotective effects of bilingualism on structural features of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Peitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Johanna Stumme
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christiane Jockwitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nora Bittner
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stefan Heim
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Ballarini T, Kuhn E, Röske S, Altenstein S, Bartels C, Buchholz F, Buerger K, Dechent P, Dobisch L, Ewers M, Fliessbach K, Freiesleben SD, Frommann I, Gabelin T, Glanz W, Görß D, Haynes JD, Incesoy EI, Janowitz D, Kilimann I, Kleineidam L, Kobeleva X, Laske C, Lohse A, Maier F, Munk MH, Perneczky R, Peters O, Priller J, Rauchmann BS, Roy N, Scheffler K, Schneider A, Schott BH, Spottke A, Spruth EJ, Teipel S, Wiltfang J, Wolfsgruber S, Düzel E, Jessen F, Wagner M. Linking early-life bilingualism and cognitive advantage in older adulthood. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 124:18-28. [PMID: 36706574 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have identified bilingualism as a protective factor against dementia. Here we aimed to test whether being bilingual at different life stages impacts cognition and brain structure in older adulthood. We included 746 participants from the DZNE-Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Study (DELCODE). Assessment of bilingualism at 3 life stages (early: 13-30, middle: 30-65 and late: over 65 years old) was determined with the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire. Individuals reporting bilingualism (i.e., daily use of L2) in the early life stage outperformed monolinguals on learning & memory, working-memory, executive functions and language. Bilingualism in middle life stage showed a significant advantage on learning & memory, while no effect of bilingualism in old life stage was identified. Brain gray matter volume was not associated with L2 use and did not differ between groups. However, stronger correlations between brain gray matter volume in selected brain regions and cognitive performance were found in bilingual participants in the early and middle life stages. Our results indicate that bilingualism in early life might provide a long-lasting protective effect on cognition and shape the brain to sustain cognitive performance in older adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Kuhn
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Sandra Röske
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Slawek Altenstein
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Claudia Bartels
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Goettingen, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Friederike Buchholz
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Buerger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Dechent
- MR-Research in Neurosciences, Department of Cognitive Neurology, Georg-August-University Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Laura Dobisch
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Ewers
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Klaus Fliessbach
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Geriatric Psychiatry/Psychiatry, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Silka Dawn Freiesleben
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ingo Frommann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Geriatric Psychiatry/Psychiatry, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tatjana Gabelin
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wenzel Glanz
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Doreen Görß
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany
| | - John Dylan Haynes
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Enise I Incesoy
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Janowitz
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany
| | - Ingo Kilimann
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock, Germany
| | - Luca Kleineidam
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Xenia Kobeleva
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Christoph Laske
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany; Section for Dementia Research, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andrea Lohse
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Franziska Maier
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Matthias H Munk
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany; Section for Dementia Research, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert Perneczky
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU, Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; Ageing Epidemiology Research Unit (AGE), School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Oliver Peters
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josef Priller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; University of Edinburgh and UK DRI, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Nina Roy
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- Department for Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anja Schneider
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Geriatric Psychiatry/Psychiatry, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Björn H Schott
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Goettingen, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Annika Spottke
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eike Jakob Spruth
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Teipel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rostock, Germany
| | - Jens Wiltfang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Goettingen, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Goettingen, Germany; Department of Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Signaling Group, Institute of Biomedicine (iBiMED), University of Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Steffen Wolfsgruber
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Geriatric Psychiatry/Psychiatry, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Emrah Düzel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research (IKND), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Frank Jessen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael Wagner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Geriatric Psychiatry/Psychiatry, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
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Meltzer JA, Kates Rose M, Le AY, Spencer KA, Goldstein L, Gubanova A, Lai AC, Yossofzai M, Armstrong SEM, Bialystok E. Improvement in executive function for older adults through smartphone apps: a randomized clinical trial comparing language learning and brain training. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2023; 30:150-171. [PMID: 34694201 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2021.1991262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Bilingualism has been linked to improved executive function and delayed onset of dementia, but it is unknown whether similar benefits can be obtained later in life through deliberate intervention. Given the logistical hurdles of second language acquisition in a randomized trial for older adults, few interventional studies have been done thus far. However, recently developed smartphone apps offer a convenient means to acquire skills in a second language and can be compared with brain training apps specifically designed to improve executive function. In a randomized clinical trial, 76 adults aged 65-75 were assigned to either 16 weeks of Spanish learning using the app Duolingo 30 minutes a day, an equivalent amount of brain training using the app BrainHQ, or a waitlist control condition. Executive function was assessed before and after the intervention with preregistered (NCT03638882) tests previously linked to better performance in bilinguals. For two of the primary measures: incongruent Stroop color naming and 2-back accuracy, Duolingo provided equivalent benefits as BrainHQ compared to a control group. On reaction time for N-back and Simon tests, the BrainHQ group alone experienced strong gains over the other two groups. Duolingo was rated as more enjoyable. These results suggest that app-based language learning may provide some similar benefits as brain training in improving executive function in seniors but has less impact on processing speed. However, future advancements in app design may optimize not only the acquisition of the target language but also the side benefits of the language learning experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jed A Meltzer
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada.,Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON, Canada.,Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa ON, Canada
| | - Mira Kates Rose
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Anna Y Le
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Kiah A Spencer
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Leora Goldstein
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Alina Gubanova
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Abbie C Lai
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada
| | - Maryam Yossofzai
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada
| | | | - Ellen Bialystok
- Baycrest Health Sciences, Rotman Research Institute, Toronto ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto ON, Canada
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Calvo N, Anderson JAE, Berkes M, Freedman M, Craik FIM, Bialystok E. Gray Matter Volume as Evidence for Cognitive Reserve in Bilinguals With Mild Cognitive Impairment. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2023; 37:7-12. [PMID: 36821175 PMCID: PMC10128621 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compared with monolinguals, bilinguals have a later onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease symptoms and greater neuropathology at similar cognitive and clinical levels. The present study follows a previous report showing the faster conversion from MCI to Alzheimer disease for bilingual patients than comparable monolinguals, as predicted by a cognitive reserve (CR). PURPOSE Identify whether the increased CR found for bilinguals in the previous study was accompanied by greater gray matter (GM) atrophy than was present for the monolinguals. METHODS A novel deep-learning technique based on convolutional neural networks was used to enhance clinical scans into 1 mm MPRAGEs and analyze the GM volume at the time of MCI diagnosis in the earlier study. PATIENTS Twenty-four bilingual and 24 monolingual patients were diagnosed with MCI at a hospital memory clinic. RESULTS Bilingual patients had more GM loss than monolingual patients in areas related to language processing, attention, decision-making, motor function, and episodic memory retrieval. Bilingualism and age were the strongest predictors of atrophy after other variables such as immigration and education were included in a multivariate model. DISCUSSION CR from bilingualism is evident in the initial stages of neurodegeneration after MCI has been diagnosed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Morris Freedman
- Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, Toronto
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Baycrest, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and University of Toronto
| | | | - Ellen Bialystok
- York University, Department of Psychology
- Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, Toronto
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13
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Mendez MF. Can Speaking More Than One Language Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease? J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 95:363-377. [PMID: 37545240 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurocognitive disorder that is epidemic in the elderly population. Currently, there are limited pharmacological interventions, and this has heightened the urgency to identify potential preventable or modifiable risk factors that promote resilience to the neuropathological effects of AD. The regular use of two or more languages is one such factor that may increases cognitive reserve through the long-standing executive control involved in managing multiple languages in the brain. There is also evidence that bilingualism is associated with increased brain reserve or maintenance, particularly in frontal-executive structures and networks. This review examines the current, sometimes conflicting literature on bi/multilingualism and AD. These studies have confounding variations in the assessment of age of second language onset, language proficiency, language usage, and whether determining incidence of AD or age of symptom onset. Despite these limitations, most publications support the presence of increased frontal-executive reserve that compensates for the development of AD neuropathology and, thereby, delays the emergence of clinical symptoms of dementia by about 4-5 years. Although regularly speaking more than one language does not protect against AD neuropathology, the delay in its clinical expression has a potentially significant impact on the lifelong morbidity from this age-related disease. Learning other languages may be an important modifiable factor for delaying the clinical expression of AD in later life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F Mendez
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, and Neurology Service, Neurobehavior Unit, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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14
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Bielak AAM, Gow AJ. A Decade Later on How to "Use It" So We Don't "Lose It": An Update on the Unanswered Questions about the Influence of Activity Participation on Cognitive Performance in Older Age. Gerontology 2023; 69:336-355. [PMID: 35709704 DOI: 10.1159/000524666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Activity engagement is a modifiable factor that has been widely-cited as being good for the aging brain and cognition and represents a valuable target for reducing dementia risk. However, specific issues about activity engagement (mental, social, and physical) and cognition in older adulthood remain, and Bielak [Gerontology 2010;56: 507-519] reviewed seven major methodological and theoretical questions about this relationship. We present an updated reflection on these key questions, focusing on research published in the last 10 years. For some questions, a significant amount of work has been done and conclusions have become clearer; for others, there have been few additions to the literature and our knowledge remains much the same as it was a decade ago. We review the issues identified in the 2010 paper including the directionality and temporal nature of the relationship; whether specific activity domains offer different benefits to cognition and what domain(s) of cognition are affected; variation in the relation by age, gender, or education; potential mechanisms involved; and how activity engagement is assessed. For each, we present the most up-to-date research, discuss remaining challenges and possible future directions. This formal unifying of the information in the field is intended as a guide to support continued progress by spurring on studies addressing specific questions while reminding researchers of critical issues. We conclude with recommendations that future studies investigating the link between activity engagement and cognitive performance in adulthood should consider.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison A M Bielak
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Alan J Gow
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences and Department of Psychology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
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15
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Wood TR, Turknett J. Is the lack of appropriate cognitive demand the primary driver of dementia risk? LIFESTYLE MEDICINE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/lim2.70] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R. Wood
- Department of Pediatrics University of Washington Seattle Washington USA
- Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Pensacola Florida USA
| | - Josh Turknett
- Brainjo Center for Neurology and Cognitive Enhancement Atlanta Georgia USA
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16
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Turknett J, Wood TR. Demand Coupling Drives Neurodegeneration: A Model of Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Dementia. Cells 2022; 11:2789. [PMID: 36139364 PMCID: PMC9496827 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The societal burden of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other major forms of dementia continues to grow, and multiple pharmacological agents directed towards modifying the pathological "hallmarks" of AD have yielded disappointing results. Though efforts continue towards broadening and deepening our knowledge and understanding of the mechanistic and neuropathological underpinnings of AD, our previous failures motivate a re-examination of how we conceptualize AD pathology and progression. In addition to not yielding effective treatments, the phenotypically heterogeneous biological processes that have been the primary area of focus to date have not been adequately shown to be necessary or sufficient to explain the risk and progression of AD. On the other hand, a growing body of evidence indicates that lifestyle and environment represent the ultimate level of causation for AD and age-related cognitive decline. Specifically, the decline in cognitive demands over the lifespan plays a central role in driving the structural and functional deteriorations of the brain. In the absence of adequate cognitive stimulus, physiological demand-function coupling leads to downregulation of growth, repair, and homeostatic processes, resulting in deteriorating brain tissue health, function, and capacity. In this setting, the heterogeneity of associated neuropathological tissue hallmarks then occurs as a consequence of an individual's genetic and environmental background and are best considered downstream markers of the disease process rather than specific targets for direct intervention. In this manuscript we outline the evidence for a demand-driven model of age-related cognitive decline and dementia and why it mandates a holistic approach to dementia treatment and prevention that incorporates the primary upstream role of cognitive demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Turknett
- Brainjo Center for Neurology and Cognitive Enhancement, Atlanta, GA 30076, USA
| | - Thomas R. Wood
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola, FL 32502, USA
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17
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Dash T, Joanette Y, Ansaldo AI. Multifactorial approaches to study bilingualism in the aging population: Past, present, future. Front Psychol 2022; 13:917959. [PMID: 35967735 PMCID: PMC9372590 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.917959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A better understanding and more reliable classification of bilinguals has been progressively achieved through the fine-tuning methodology and simultaneously optimizing the measurement tools. However, the current understanding is far from generalization to a larger population varying in different measures of bilingualism-L2 Age of acquisition (L2 AOA), L2 usage and exposure, and L2 proficiency. More recent studies have highlighted the importance of modeling bilingualism as a continuous variable. An in-depth look at the role of bilingualism, comparing groups, may be considered a reductionist approach, i.e., grouping based on one measure of bilingualism (e.g., L2 AOA) may not account for variability in other measures of bilingualism (L2 exposure, L2 use or L2 proficiency, amongst others) within and between groups. Similarly, a multifactorial dimension is associated with cognitive performance, where not all domains of cognition and subcomponents are equally influenced by bilingualism. In addition, socio-cultural and demographical factors may add another dimension to the impact of bilingualism on cognitive performance, especially in older adults. Nevertheless, not many studies have controlled or used the multiple socio-cultural and demographical factors as a covariate to understand the role of different aspects of bilingualism that may influence cognitive performance differently. Such an approach would fail to generalize the research findings to a larger group of bilinguals. In the present review paper, we illustrate that considering a multifactorial approach to different dimensions of bilingual study may lead to a better understanding of the role of bilingualism on cognitive performance. With the evolution of various fine-tuned methodological approaches, there is a greater need to study variability in bilingual profiles that can help generalize the result universally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Dash
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie 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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18
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Voits T, DeLuca V, Abutalebi J. The Nuance of Bilingualism as a Reserve Contributor: Conveying Research to the Broader Neuroscience Community. Front Psychol 2022; 13:909266. [PMID: 35814120 PMCID: PMC9263506 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.909266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurological notion of “reserve” arises from an individually observable dissociation between brain health and cognitive status. According to the cognitive reserve hypothesis, high-reserve individuals experience functional compensation for neural atrophy and, thus, are able to maintain relatively stable cognitive functioning with no or smaller-than-expected impairment. Several lifestyle factors such as regular physical exercise, adequate and balanced nutrition, and educational attainment have been widely reported to contribute to reserve and, thus, lead to more successful trajectories of cognitive aging (CA). In recent years, it has become clear that bilingualism is also a potential reserve contributor. Yet, there is little communication between the neuroscience of bilingualism research community and researchers working in the field of CA more generally, despite compelling reasons for it. In fact, bilingualism tends to be overlooked as a contributory factor in the CA literature, or reduced to a dichotomous trait, despite it being a complex experience. Herein, we discuss issues that are preventing recognition of bilingualism as a reserve contributor across all literatures, highlight the benefits of including language experiences as a factor of interest across research disciplines, and suggest a roadmap to better integrate bilingualism and aging moving forward. We close with calls toward a model of aging that examines the contributions across lifestyle factors, including that of bilingual experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toms Voits
- PoLaR Lab, AcqVA Aurora Centre, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- *Correspondence: Toms Voits,
| | - Vincent DeLuca
- PoLaR Lab, AcqVA Aurora Centre, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- PoLaR Lab, AcqVA Aurora Centre, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
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19
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Gallo F, DeLuca V, Prystauka Y, Voits T, Rothman J, Abutalebi J. Bilingualism and Aging: Implications for (Delaying) Neurocognitive Decline. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:819105. [PMID: 35185498 PMCID: PMC8847162 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.819105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
As a result of advances in healthcare, the worldwide average life expectancy is steadily increasing. However, this positive trend has societal and individual costs, not least because greater life expectancy is linked to higher incidence of age-related diseases, such as dementia. Over the past few decades, research has isolated various protective "healthy lifestyle" factors argued to contribute positively to cognitive aging, e.g., healthy diet, physical exercise and occupational attainment. The present article critically reviews neuroscientific evidence for another such factor, i.e., speaking multiple languages. Moreover, with multiple societal stakeholders in mind, we contextualize and stress the importance of the research program that seeks to uncover and understand potential connections between bilingual language experience and cognitive aging trajectories, inclusive of the socio-economic impact it can have. If on the right track, this is an important line of research because bilingualism has the potential to cross-over socio-economic divides to a degree other healthy lifestyle factors currently do not and likely cannot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Gallo
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincent DeLuca
- PoLaR Lab, AcqVA Aurora Centre, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Yanina Prystauka
- PoLaR Lab, AcqVA Aurora Centre, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Toms Voits
- PoLaR Lab, AcqVA Aurora Centre, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jason Rothman
- PoLaR Lab, AcqVA Aurora Centre, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Centro de Investigación Nebrija en Cognición (CINC), University Nebrija, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jubin Abutalebi
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics (CNPL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- PoLaR Lab, AcqVA Aurora Centre, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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20
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Taylor C, Hall S, Manivannan S, Mundil N, Border S. The neuroanatomical consequences and pathological implications of bilingualism. J Anat 2022; 240:410-427. [PMID: 34486112 PMCID: PMC8742975 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of people who are able to speak two or more languages. This has been paralleled by an increase in research related to bilingualism. Despite this, much of the neuroanatomical consequences and pathological implications of bilingualism are still subject to discussion. This review aims to evaluate the neuroanatomical structures related to language and to the acquisition of a second language as well as exploring how learning a second language can alter one's susceptibility to and the progression of certain cerebral pathologies. A literature search was conducted on the Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. A total of 137 articles regarding the neuroanatomical or pathological implications of bilingualism were included for review. Following analysis of the included papers, this review finds that bilingualism induces significant gray and white matter cerebral changes, particularly in the frontal lobes, anterior cingulate cortex, left inferior parietal lobule and subcortical areas, and that native language and acquired language largely recruit the same neuroanatomical structures with however, subtle functional and anatomical differences dependent on proficiency and age of language acquisition. There is adequate evidence to suggest that bilingualism offsets the symptoms and diagnosis of dementia, and that it is protective against both pathological and age-related cognitive decline. While many of the neuroanatomical changes are known, more remains to be elucidated and the relationship between bilingualism and other neurological pathologies remains unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Taylor
- Centre for Learning Anatomical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
| | - Samuel Hall
- Centre for Learning Anatomical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
- Department of NeurosurgeryUniversity Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation TrustSouthamptonUK
| | - Susruta Manivannan
- Department of NeurosurgeryUniversity Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation TrustSouthamptonUK
| | - Nilesh Mundil
- Department of NeurosurgeryUniversity Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation TrustSouthamptonUK
| | - Scott Border
- Centre for Learning Anatomical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK
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21
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Gallo F, Kubiak J, Myachykov A. Add Bilingualism to the Mix: L2 Proficiency Modulates the Effect of Cognitive Reserve Proxies on Executive Performance in Healthy Aging. Front Psychol 2022; 13:780261. [PMID: 35173660 PMCID: PMC8841471 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.780261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the contribution of bilingual experience to the development of cognitive reserve (CR) when compared with other, traditionally more researched, CR proxies, in a sample of cognitively healthy senior (60 +) bilingual speakers. Participants performed in an online study where, in addition to a wide inventory of factors known to promote CR, we assessed several factors related to their second language (L2) use. In addition, participants’ inhibitory executive control was measured via the Flanker Task. We used Structural Equation Modeling to derive a latent composite measure of CR informed by traditional CR proxies (i.e., occupational complexity, marital status, current and retrospective socio-economic status, physical exercise, perceived positive support, maximal educational attainment, frequency of leisure activities and extent of social network). We examined whether bilingualism may act as a mediator of the effects of such proxies on cognitive performance therefore assessing the unique contribution of dual language use to CR. First, our analyses revealed facilitatory effects of both L2 age of acquisition and L2 proficiency on the executive performance. Second, our analyses confirmed the moderating role of bilingual experience on the relationship between other factors known to promote CR and cognitive integrity, revealing a strong contribution by bilingualism to CR development. Our findings provide further support to the notion that bilingualism plays an important role in mitigating cognitive decline and promoting successful aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Gallo
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Higher School of Economics, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Moscow, Russia
- Centre for Neurolinguistics and Psycholinguistics, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- *Correspondence: Federico Gallo,
| | - Joanna Kubiak
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Andriy Myachykov
- Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Higher School of Economics, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Moscow, Russia
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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22
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Nunes I, Silva Nunes MV. The influence of cognitive reserve in the protection of the cognitive status after an acquired brain injury: A systematic review. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2022; 43:839-860. [PMID: 35014599 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2021.2014788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive Reserve (CR) hypothesis was introduced to account for the variability in cognitive performance of patients with similar degrees of brain injury or pathology. The individual variability of CR is modulated by the interaction of innate capacities and exposures throughout life, which can act as protectors against neuropathology's clinical effects. Individuals with higher CR appear to have better cognitive performance after a brain injury. The present review aimed to identify and map the scientific evidence available in literature regarding CR's influence in protecting the cognitive status after an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). METHOD A systematic review was performed for published studies until October 2020 in PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL electronic databases. Studies regarding CR's influence in protecting the cognitive status after an ABI were included in this review. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess risk of bias in the included studies. This systematic review was recorded in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the number CRD42021236594. RESULTS Twenty-one studies published between 2003 and 2020 were selected and analyzed. The literature analysis showed that CR has a positive effect on cognitive status after an ABI. Various proxies were used to estimate CR, including estimated premorbid IQ, education, occupation attainment, socioeconomic status, leisure activities, bilingualism, and social integration. CR proxies constitute a set of variables that may have a significant influence on cognitive status. Higher CR levels were associated with lower cognitive impairment after an ABI. CONCLUSIONS Although more research is necessary for a complete understanding of CR's impact on cognition, the synthesis of these studies confirmed that there is evidence on the beneficial impact of CR on cognitive status after an ABI. These findings support CR's cognitive status role following an ABI and may provide additional information for prognosis and rehabilitation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Nunes
- Health Sciences Institute, Portuguese Catholic University, Lisbon, Portugal.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria Vânia Silva Nunes
- Health Sciences Institute, Portuguese Catholic University, Lisbon, Portugal.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Lisbon, Portugal
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23
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Morris TP, Ai M, Chaddock-Heyman L, McAuley E, Hillman CH, Kramer AF. Relationships between enriching early life experiences and cognitive function later in life are mediated by educational attainment. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2022; 5:449-458. [PMID: 35005424 DOI: 10.1007/s41465-021-00208-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The study of how engagement in enriching cognitive, physical and social activities in childhood impacts cognitive function decades later will advance our understanding of how modifiable lifestyle activities promote cognition across the lifespan. 88 healthy older adults (aged 60-80 years) returned a retrospective questionnaire regarding their participation in seven lifestyle activities (musical instrument playing, language learning, sport participation, art/dance lessons, scouting, volunteering, family vacations) before age 13 years. After controlling for current age, educational attainment, socioeconomic status of the mother and current engagement in lifestyle activities, a greater number of activities were significantly associated with better vocabulary abilities, episodic memory and fluid intelligence. The relationships with vocabulary and fluid intelligence were mediated by educational attainment. We postulate that engagement in a higher number of enriching early life activities is a reflection of both one's sociocontextual environment and engagement with that environment. This engagement leads to attributes relevant for educational aspirations/attainment, ultimately contributing to factors that have a lifespan impact on cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meishan Ai
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, USA
| | - Laura Chaddock-Heyman
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA
| | - Edward McAuley
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA.,Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Charles H Hillman
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, USA.,Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, United States
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, USA.,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, USA
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24
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Peristeri E, Vogelzang M, Tsimpli IM. Bilingualism Effects on the Cognitive Flexibility of Autistic Children: Evidence From Verbal Dual-Task Paradigms. NEUROBIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2021; 2:558-585. [PMID: 37214625 PMCID: PMC10198706 DOI: 10.1162/nol_a_00055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The deficit in cognitive flexibility (i.e., the ability to adapt cognitive behavior to changing contexts) is one of the most prominent characteristics of autistic individuals. Inflexibility may manifest in restricted interests and increased susceptibility to the effects of misinformation either through inefficient inhibition of non-target information or deficient recall of correct information. Bilingualism has been shown to enhance executive functions in both typically developing children and autistic children; yet, the effect of bilingualism on cognitive flexibility in autism remains underexplored. In this study, we used verbal dual-tasks to compare cognitive flexibility across 50 monolingual autistic and 50 bilingual autistic children, and 50 monolingual and 50 bilingual typically developing children. The children were also administered language ability tests and a nonverbal global-local cognitive flexibility task, in order to investigate whether performance in the dual-tasks would be modulated by the children's language and executive function skills. The bilingual autistic children outperformed their monolingual autistic peers in the dual-tasks. The strength of the bilingualism effect, however, was modulated by the type of language processing that interfered with the target information in each dual-task, which suggests that the bilingual autistic children calibrated their processing resources and efficiently adapted them to the changing demands of the dual-task only to the extent that the task did not exceed their language abilities. Bilingual autistic children relied on their executive functions rather than on their language abilities while performing in the dual-tasks. The overall results show that bilingualism compensates for the reduced cognitive flexibility in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Peristeri
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Larissa, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
| | - Margreet Vogelzang
- Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ianthi Maria Tsimpli
- Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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25
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Music to My Ears: Developing Kanji Stroke Knowledge through an Educational Music Game. MULTIMODAL TECHNOLOGIES AND INTERACTION 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/mti5120083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Millions of people worldwide are taking up foreign languages with logographic writing systems, such as Japanese or Chinese. Learning thousands of characters necessary for literacy in those languages is a unique challenge to those coming from alphabetic backgrounds, and sustaining motivation in the face of such a momentous task is a struggle for many students. Many games exist for this purpose, but few offer production memory practice such as writing, and the vast majority are thinly veiled flashcards. To address this gap, we created Radical Tunes—a musical kanji-writing game—which combines production practice with musical mnemonic by assigning a melody to each element of a character. We chose to utilize music as it is a powerful tool that can be employed to enhance learning and memory. In this article, we explore whether incorporating melodies into a kanji learning game can positively affect the memorization of the stroke order/direction and overall shape of several Japanese characters, similar to the mnemonic effect of adding music to text. Specifically, we conducted two experimental studies, finding that (1) music improved immersion—an important factor related to learning; and (2) there was a positive correlation between melody presence and character production, particularly for more complex characters.
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26
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Chrysochoou E, Vivas AB, Cana L, Demetriou A. The bilingual effect on cognitive development: not an executive function advantage, but a differentiation of mental abilities. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2021.2002875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisavet Chrysochoou
- School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Ana B. Vivas
- Psychology Department, CITY College, University of York Europe Campus, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Likanë Cana
- Psychology Department, the University of Sheffield International Faculty, City College, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Andreas Demetriou
- Department of Psychology, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Cyprus, Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts, Nicosia, Cyprus
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27
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Ware C, Dautricourt S, Gonneaud J, Chételat G. Does Second Language Learning Promote Neuroplasticity in Aging? A Systematic Review of Cognitive and Neuroimaging Studies. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:706672. [PMID: 34867264 PMCID: PMC8633567 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.706672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
As the population ages, understanding how to maintain older adults' cognitive abilities is essential. Bilingualism has been linked to higher cognitive reserve, better performance in executive control, changes in brain structure and function relative to monolinguals, and delay in dementia onset. Learning a second language thus seems a promising avenue for cognitive enhancement in older adults. Our review aims to determine whether learning a foreign language in later life improves cognition and promotes neuroplasticity. We screened articles from the Pubmed, Scopus, and Science Direct databases to identify interventional studies using second language training in senior participants, including either cognition or neuroimaging as outcome measures. A total of nine articles were found, with only one neuroimaging study. Results from these studies are inconsistent, but tend to suggest that second language learning is associated with improvement in attentional switching, inhibition, working memory, and increased functional connectivity. We discuss the implications of these results, and suggest new directions and methodological recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Ware
- PhIND Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, Caen, France
- CRPMS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Dautricourt
- PhIND Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, Caen, France
- Neurology Department, University Hospital, Caen, France
| | - Julie Gonneaud
- PhIND Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, Caen, France
| | - Gael Chételat
- PhIND Physiopathology and Imaging of Neurological Disorders, Institut Blood and Brain @ Caen-Normandie, Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, INSERM, U1237, Caen, France
- Neurology Department, University Hospital, Caen, France
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Navarro-Torres CA, Beatty-Martínez AL, Kroll JF, Green DW. Research on bilingualism as discovery science. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2021; 222:105014. [PMID: 34530360 PMCID: PMC8978084 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2021.105014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An important aim of research on bilingualism is to understand how the brain adapts to the demands of using more than one language.In this paper, we argue that pursuing such an aim entails valuing our research as a discovery process that acts on variety.Prescriptions about sample size and methodology, rightly aimed at establishing a sound basis for generalization, should be understood as being in the service of science as a discovery process. We propose and illustrate by drawing from previous and contemporary examples within brain and cognitive sciences, that this necessitates exploring the neural bases of bilingual phenotypes:the adaptive variety induced through the interplay of biology and culture. We identify the conceptual and methodological prerequisites for such exploration and briefly allude to the publication practices that afford it as a community practice and to the risk of allowing methodological prescriptions, rather than discovery, to dominate the research endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Judith F Kroll
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, United States
| | - David W Green
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, United Kingdom
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29
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Morris TP, Chaddock-Heyman L, Ai M, Anteraper SA, Castañon AN, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Hillman CH, McAuley E, Kramer AF. Enriching activities during childhood are associated with variations in functional connectivity patterns later in life. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 104:92-101. [PMID: 33984626 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Enriching early life experiences (e.g., sport, art, music, volunteering, language learning) during a critical period of brain development may promote structural and functional brain changes that are still present decades later (>60 years). We assessed whether a greater variety of enriching early life activities (EELA) before age 13 years were associated with individual differences in cortical and subcortical (hippocampus and amygdala) structure and function later in life (older adults aged 60-80 years). Results indicated no association between EELA and amygdala and hippocampus volumes, but higher functional connectivity between the amygdala and the insula was associated with more variety of EELA. EELA was not associated with cortical thickness controlling for sex, but sex-specific associations with the right pars opercularis were found. EELA was further associated with variations in functional connectivity patterns of the orbitofrontal cortex, driven by connecitivty to regions within the visual, somatosensory and limbic networks. Early life enriching activities appear to contribute to potential mechanisms of cognitive reserve (functional processes) more so than brain reserve (structure) later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy P Morris
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Laura Chaddock-Heyman
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Meishan Ai
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Charles H Hillman
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Physical Therapy, Movement, and Rehabilitation Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Edward McAuley
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA; Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Arthur F Kramer
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
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30
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Mendis SB, Raymont V, Tabet N. Bilingualism: A Global Public Health Strategy for Healthy Cognitive Aging. Front Neurol 2021; 12:628368. [PMID: 33935937 PMCID: PMC8081826 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.628368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Dementia is a global public health priority which cost global societies $818 billion in 2015 and is disproportionately impacting low and middle-income countries (LMICs). With limited availability of disease modifying drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), researchers have increasingly focused on preventative strategies which may promote healthy cognitive aging and mitigate the risk of cognitive impairment in aging. Lifelong bilingualism has been presented as both a highly debated and promising cognitive reserve factor which has been associated with better cognitive outcomes in aging. A recent metanalysis has suggested that bilingual individuals present on average 4.05 years later with the clinical features of AD than monolinguals. Bilinguals are also diagnosed with AD ~2.0 years later than monolingual counterparts. In this perspective piece we critically evaluate the findings of this metanalysis and consider the specific implications of these findings to LMICs. Furthermore, we appraise the major epidemiological studies conducted globally on bilingualism and the onset of dementia. We consider how both impactful and robust studies of bilingualism and cognition in older age may be conducted in LMICs. Given the limited expenditure and resources available in LMICs and minimal successes of clinical trials of disease modifying drugs we propose that bilingualism should be positioned as an important and specific public health strategy for maintaining healthy cognitive aging in LMICs. Finally, we reflect upon the scope of implementing bilingualism within the education systems of LMICs and the promotion of bilingualism as a healthy cognitive aging initiative within government policy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanessa Raymont
- Oxford Brain Health Clinical Trials Unit, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Naji Tabet
- Center for Dementia Studies, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, United Kingdom
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31
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Music Modulates Cognitive Flexibility? An Investigation of the Benefits of Musical Training on Markers of Cognitive Flexibility. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11040451. [PMID: 33918191 PMCID: PMC8066621 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11040451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility enables the rapid change in goals humans want to attain in everyday life as well as in professional contexts, e.g., as musicians. In the laboratory, cognitive flexibility is usually assessed using the task-switching paradigm. In this paradigm participants are given at least two classification tasks and are asked to switch between them based on valid cues or memorized task sequences. The mechanisms enabling cognitive flexibility are investigated through two empirical markers, namely switch costs and n-2 repetition costs. In this study, we assessed both effects in a pre-instructed task-sequence paradigm. Our aim was to assess the transfer of musical training to non-musical stimuli and tasks. To this end, we collected the data of 49 participants that differed in musical training assessed using the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index. We found switch costs that were not significantly influenced by the degree of musical training. N-2 repetition costs were small for all levels of musical training and not significant. Musical training did not influence performance to a remarkable degree and did not affect markers of mechanisms underlying cognitive flexibility, adding to the discrepancies of findings on the impact of musical training in non-music-specific tasks.
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Luna S, Joubert S, Blondel M, Cecchetto C, Gagné JP. The Impact of Aging on Spatial Abilities in Deaf Users of a Sign Language. JOURNAL OF DEAF STUDIES AND DEAF EDUCATION 2021; 26:230-240. [PMID: 33221919 DOI: 10.1093/deafed/enaa034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Research involving the general population of people who use a spoken language to communicate has demonstrated that older adults experience cognitive and physical changes associated with aging. Notwithstanding the differences in the cognitive processes involved in sign and spoken languages, it is possible that aging can also affect cognitive processing in deaf signers. This research aims to explore the impact of aging on spatial abilities among sign language users. Results showed that younger signers were more accurate than older signers on all spatial tasks. Therefore, the age-related impact on spatial abilities found in the older hearing population can be generalized to the population of signers. Potential implications for sign language production and comprehension are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Luna
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal
| | - Sven Joubert
- Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal
| | - Marion Blondel
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, Structures Formelles du Langage, Université Paris 8
| | - Carlo Cecchetto
- Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, Structures Formelles du Langage, Université Paris 8
- Departement of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca
| | - Jean-Pierre Gagné
- Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
- Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal
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33
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Grossmann JA, Koelsch VM, Degirmenci MG, Aschenbrenner S, Teichmann B, Meyer P. Effects of foreign language learning on executive functions in healthy older adults: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMC Geriatr 2021; 21:122. [PMID: 33588784 PMCID: PMC7885378 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02051-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With age, most cognitive functions decline. As the number of people aged 60 years and older is expected to rise rapidly within the next decades, identifying interventions that promote healthy cognitive ageing is of utmost importance. Promising research on bilingualism has led to the notion that learning a foreign language could protect against cognitive decline. Foreign language learning likely promotes executive functions, which are higher-order cognitive abilities particularly affected by age-related cognitive decline. However, evidence is still sparse and has produced contradictory results. This study aims to investigate the effects of short and intensive foreign language learning on executive functions in healthy older adults. Methods In a randomised controlled trial, we will assign 60 native German-speaking monolingual healthy older adults, aged 65–80 years, to either a foreign language learning or a waiting list control group. Language learners will attend a face-to-face, group-based Spanish course for beginners for 1.5 h a day, 5 days a week, for a total of 3 weeks. Cognitive performance in executive functions will be assessed before and after the intervention or after a waiting period of 3 weeks (waiting list control group). Participants will be tested again after 3 months to evaluate longitudinal effects of foreign language learning. The waiting list control group will receive Spanish lessons only after the final assessment and will be invited to an additional voluntary evaluation after completion of the course. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, we are conducting the first randomised controlled trial on the effects of short and intensive foreign language learning in older adulthood on executive functions. Enhanced cognitive performance after foreign language learning would indicate that learning a foreign language could enlarge cognitive reserve and thus promote healthy cognitive ageing in older adults. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00016552. Registered on 11 February 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Alina Grossmann
- Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany. .,Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, SRH Clinic Karlsbad-Langensteinbach, Karlsbad, Germany.
| | | | | | - Steffen Aschenbrenner
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology, SRH Clinic Karlsbad-Langensteinbach, Karlsbad, Germany
| | - Birgit Teichmann
- Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patric Meyer
- Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,SRH University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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34
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Klimova B. Are There Any Cognitive Benefits of Computer-Based Foreign Language Training for Healthy Elderly People? - A Mini-Review. Front Psychol 2021; 11:573287. [PMID: 33584410 PMCID: PMC7873841 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.573287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this mini-review is to investigate if there are any cognitive benefits of computer-based foreign language training for healthy older individuals aged 55+ years. The author conducted a literature search of peer-reviewed English written research articles found in Pub Med, Web of Science and Scopus. The findings of this mini-review reveal that the research on the cognitive benefits of computer-based foreign language training for healthy older individuals is small-scale. The limited research findings of only three relevant studies indicate that these computer-based foreign language training programs may bring cognitive benefits for healthy elderly people, especially as far as the enhancement of their cognitive functions such as working memory are concerned. In addition, the authors of these studies suggest that foreign language learning is a useful activity for healthy older adults since it has the benefits of being meaningful (an advantage over other cognitive training approaches) and provides the chance for acquiring important skills that can benefit other aspects of life, such as travel or communication. In conclusion, the author of this mini-review also provides several implications for practice and future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanka Klimova
- Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho, Czechia
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35
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Backer KC, Bortfeld H. Characterizing Bilingual Effects on Cognition: The Search for Meaningful Individual Differences. Brain Sci 2021; 11:81. [PMID: 33435472 PMCID: PMC7827854 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A debate over the past decade has focused on the so-called bilingual advantage-the idea that bilingual and multilingual individuals have enhanced domain-general executive functions, relative to monolinguals, due to competition-induced monitoring of both processing and representation from the task-irrelevant language(s). In this commentary, we consider a recent study by Pot, Keijzer, and de Bot (2018), which focused on the relationship between individual differences in language usage and performance on an executive function task among multilingual older adults. We discuss their approach and findings in light of a more general movement towards embracing complexity in this domain of research, including individuals' sociocultural context and position in the lifespan. The field increasingly considers interactions between bilingualism/multilingualism and cognition, employing measures of language use well beyond the early dichotomous perspectives on language background. Moreover, new measures of bilingualism and analytical approaches are helping researchers interrogate the complexities of specific processing issues. Indeed, our review of the bilingualism/multilingualism literature confirms the increased appreciation researchers have for the range of factors-beyond whether someone speaks one, two, or more languages-that impact specific cognitive processes. Here, we highlight some of the most salient of these, and incorporate suggestions for a way forward that likewise encompasses neural perspectives on the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina C. Backer
- Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
| | - Heather Bortfeld
- Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
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36
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Liu H, Wu L. Lifelong Bilingualism Functions as an Alternative Intervention for Cognitive Reserve Against Alzheimer's Disease. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:696015. [PMID: 34366926 PMCID: PMC8339371 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.696015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bilingualism has been reported to significantly delay the onset of dementia and plays an important role in the management of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a condition inducing impairment in the brain network and cognitive decline. Cognitive reserve is associated with the adaptive maintenance of neural functions by protecting against neuropathology. Bilingualism acts as a beneficial environmental factor contributing to cognitive reserve, although some potential confounding variables still need further elucidation. In this article, the relationship between bilingualism and cognitive reserve is discussed, interpreting the advantage of bilingualism in protecting against cognitive decline. In addition, the possible brain and biochemical mechanisms, supporting the advantageous effects of bilingualism in delaying the onset of dementia, involved in bilingualism are reviewed. Effectively, bilingualism can be considered as a pharmacological intervention with no side effects. However, the investigation of the pharmacological parameters of bilingualism is still at an early stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqing Liu
- Department of Foreign Languages, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Longhuo Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
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37
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Altschul DM, Deary IJ. Playing Analog Games Is Associated With Reduced Declines in Cognitive Function: A 68-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 75:474-482. [PMID: 31738418 PMCID: PMC7021446 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbz149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Playing analog games may be associated with better cognitive function but, to date, these studies have not had extensive longitudinal follow-up. Our goal was to examine the association between playing games and change in cognitive function from age 11 to age 70, and from age 70 to 79. METHOD Participants were 1,091 nonclinical, independent, community-dwelling individuals all born in 1936 and residing in Scotland. General cognitive function was assessed at ages 11 and 70, and hierarchical domains were assessed at ages 70, 73, 76, and 79 using a comprehensive cognitive battery of 14 tests. Games playing behaviors were assessed at ages 70 and 76. All models controlled for early life cognitive function, education, social class, sex, activity levels, and health issues. All analyses were preregistered. RESULTS Higher frequency of playing games was associated with higher cognitive function at age 70, controlling for age 11 cognitive function, and the majority of this association could not be explained by control variables. Playing more games was also associated with less general cognitive decline from age 70 to age 79, and in particularly, less decline in memory ability. Increased games playing between 70 and 76 was associated with less decline in cognitive speed. DISCUSSION Playing games were associated with less relative cognitive decline from age 11 to age 70, and less cognitive decline from age 70 to 79. Controlling for age 11 cognitive function and other confounders, these findings suggest that playing more games is linked to reduced lifetime decline in cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew M Altschul
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK.,Mental Health Data Science Scotland, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ian J Deary
- Department of Psychology, The University of Edinburgh, UK.,Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, The University of Edinburgh, UK
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38
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Heredia RR, Blackburn AM, Vega LA. Moderation-Mediation Effects in Bilingualism and Cognitive Reserve. Front Psychol 2020; 11:572555. [PMID: 33101142 PMCID: PMC7554512 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We first provide a critical review of the existing findings on bilingualism as a contributor to cognitive reserve from moderator-mediator warranting cause-effect research conclusions. We next address the question of direct or indirect effects between bilingualism and neurocognitive protective factors influencing the associated age-related mental deficits. The existing findings support bilingualism as a predictor and as a moderator. Third, we propose cognitive reserve models of bilingualism describing analytical approaches that allow testing of these models and hypotheses related to path strength and causal relationships between predictors, moderators, and mediators. Lastly and most importantly, we suggest using large datasets available via open repositories. This can aid in the testing of theoretical models, clarifying the roles of moderators and mediators, and assessing the research viability of multi-causal paths that can influence cognitive reserve. Creating collaborative datasets to test these models would greatly advance our field and identify critical variables in the study of the bilingual aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto R Heredia
- Department of Psychology and Communication, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX, United States
| | - Angélique M Blackburn
- Department of Psychology and Communication, Texas A&M International University, Laredo, TX, United States
| | - Luis A Vega
- Department of Psychology, California State University-Bakersfield, Bakersfield, CA, United States
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39
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Enhancing Cognitive Performance of Healthy Czech Seniors through Non-Native Language Learning-A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10090573. [PMID: 32825337 PMCID: PMC7563113 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this article is to discuss the effect of learning a non-native language on the enhancement of cognitive performance in healthy native Czech elderly. In addition, special emphasis is put on the qualitative assessment. To do this, 42 Czech cognitively unimpaired seniors were enrolled into the study. These were then divided into an experimental group (i.e., 20 healthy elderly studied English as a non-native language for three months) and a passive control group (22 healthy elderly, who did not undergo any non-native language intervention). The main outcome measures included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, statistical processing of the data, and a qualitative content analysis. The results indicate that the cognitive performance of the intervention group did not differ from the control group. Therefore, no cognitive enhancement through non-native language learning was achieved. However, the findings of the qualitative analysis show that such non-native language learning with the peers of the same age is especially beneficial for the overall well-being of healthy seniors, especially as far as their social networks are concerned. Furthermore, participant's subjective feelings from their self-reports indicate that foreign language learning also contributes to acquiring new English words and phrases. However, as there are very few empirical studies on this research topic, further research is needed in order to confirm or refute the present research findings on the enhancement of cognitive performance through non-native language learning in healthy seniors.
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40
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Wörn J, Comijs H, Aartsen M. Spousal Loss and Change in Cognitive Functioning: An Examination of Temporal Patterns and Gender Differences. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 75:195-206. [PMID: 30219919 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The study investigates whether the disadvantaged position of men in the adverse consequences of widowhood for health and mortality also exists for changes in cognitive health. METHODS We used data of up to 1,269 men and women aged 65 years and older who participated in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam in 3-yearly assessments between 1992 and 2012 (5,123 person-observations). All were married and without cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination ≥ 24) at baseline and up to 419 lost their spouse. In fixed effects regression models, the effect of spousal loss on change in four domains of cognitive functioning was estimated independently of age-related cognitive change. RESULTS For women, a robust temporary decrease was found in the second year after spousal loss in the reasoning domain, but not in global cognitive functioning, processing speed, or memory. No robust effects were found for men. DISCUSSION Considering that only one cognitive domain was affected and effects were temporary, cognitive functioning seems rather robust to the experience of spousal loss. Despite men having often been reported to be in a disadvantaged position in other health domains, our analyses indicate no such pattern for cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Wörn
- Research Training Group SOCLIFE, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, Cologne, Germany.,Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology, University of Cologne, Albertus-Magnus-Platz, Cologne, Germany
| | - Hannie Comijs
- GGZinGeest/Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marja Aartsen
- NOVA, Norwegian Social Research, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway
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41
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Celik S, Kokje E, Meyer P, Frölich L, Teichmann B. Does bilingualism influence neuropsychological test performance in older adults? A systematic review. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY-ADULT 2020; 29:855-873. [PMID: 32677470 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2020.1788032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using standardized tests which have been normed on monolinguals for the assessment of bilinguals presents challenges to the accurate characterization of cognitive profile as the literature provides compelling evidence for the influence of bilingualism on cognitive abilities. However, little is known about the generalizability of these findings to clinical neuropsychology. The aim of this review was to address this gap by summarizing current evidence on the performance of bilingual older adults on standardized tests routinely used in clinical practice. METHOD A systematic search of Web of Science, PsycINFO and PubMed was conducted. 27 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies which use at least one standardized neuropsychological test for cognitive impairment were included in the review. Potential demographic (cultural/linguistic background of the participants, immigrant status), clinical (diagnostic status), and methodological confounders (language of test administration, components of bilingualism) were also examined. The review protocol was registered at the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Review with registration number CRD42018114658. RESULTS The results of this review revealed some bilingual advantage on measures of inhibitory control and bilingual disadvantage on measures of verbal fluency in cross-sectional studies. Bilingualism status was not associated with test performance in longitudinal studies. However, findings lack consistency due to demographic variables and methodological differences across studies. CONCLUSION Neuropsychological tests assessing language domains and, to some extent executive function act as clinically relevant features of bilingualism for neuropsychological evaluation. However, immigration status, acculturation level and language of test administration needs to be taken into account when assessing bilingual older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simge Celik
- Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eesha Kokje
- Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patric Meyer
- Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Faculty of Applied Psychology, SRH University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lutz Frölich
- Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Birgit Teichmann
- Network Aging Research, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Active bilingualism delays the onset of mild cognitive impairment. Neuropsychologia 2020; 146:107528. [PMID: 32540266 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Lifelong bilingualism may contribute to cognitive reserve (CR) in neurodegenerative diseases as shown by a delay of the age at symptom onset in bilinguals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). However, some studies have failed to show this bilingual advantage, suggesting that it might depend on the type and degree of bilingualism. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that active bilingualism, defined as the continuous use of the two languages as opposed to second language exposition only, may protect against cognitive decline. Moreover, we investigated whether bilingualism as a CR factor may be explained by an advantage within the executive control (EC) system. To do so, we collected clinical measures (age at onset of cognitive symptoms, age at the first medical visit for cognitive impairments, and age at diagnosis) in patients with MCI and patients with AD with different degrees of language experience and usage of Catalan and Spanish. Additionally, all participants were tested on four EC tasks and one long-term memory recognition task. First, results from multiple regression analyses showed that active bilingualism was a significant predictor of delay in the age at onset for all the clinical measures in MCI, but not AD patients. Second, the effect of active bilingualism was independent of occupation, educational level and job attainment across the individuals' lifespan. Finally, although we did not find an effect of active bilingualism across all EC tasks, we did find an effect for conflict resolution. These results are discussed in the context of CR hypotheses, suggesting that compensatory mechanisms may play a role in protecting against cognitive decline.
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Raji CA, Meysami S, Merrill DA, Porter VR, Mendez MF. Brain Structure in Bilingual Compared to Monolingual Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease: Proof of Concept. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 76:275-280. [PMID: 32508324 DOI: 10.3233/jad-200200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bilingualism is increasingly recognized as protective in persons at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE Compare MRI measured brain volumes in matched bilinguals versus monolinguals with AD. METHODS This IRB approved study analyzed T1 volumetric brain MRIs of patients with criteria-supported Probable AD. We identified 17 sequential bilinguals (any native language) with Probable AD, matched to 28 (62%) monolinguals on age and MMSE. Brain volumes were quantified with Neuroreader. Regional volumes as fraction of total intracranial volume (TIV) were compared between both groups, and Cohen's D effect sizes were calculated for statistically significant structures. Partial correlations between bilingualism and brain volumes adjusted for age, gender, and TIV. RESULTS Bilinguals had higher brain volumes in 37 structures. Statistical significance (p < 0.05) was observed in brainstem (t = 2.33, p = 0.02, Cohen's D = 0.71) and ventral diencephalon (t = 3.01, p = 0.004, Cohen's D = 0.91). Partial correlations showed statistical significance between bilingualism and larger volumes in brainstem (rp = 0 . 37, p = 0.01), thalamus (rp = 0.31, p = 0.04), ventral diencephalon (rp = 0.50, p = 0.001), and pallidum (rp = 0.38, p = 0.01). Bilingualism positively correlated with hippocampal volume, though not statistically significant (rp = 0.17, p = 0.26). No brain volumes were larger in monolinguals. CONCLUSION Bilinguals demonstrated larger thalamic, ventral diencephalon, and brainstem volumes compared to matched monolinguals with AD. This may represent a neural substrate for increased cognitive reserve in bilingualism. Future studies should extrapolate this finding into cognitively normal persons at risk for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrus A Raji
- Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Somayeh Meysami
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David A Merrill
- Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,The John Wayne Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence and St. Johns Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Verna R Porter
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,The John Wayne Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute, Providence and St. Johns Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Mario F Mendez
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,V.A. Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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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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Klimova B, Pikhart M. Current Research on the Impact of Foreign Language Learning Among Healthy Seniors on Their Cognitive Functions From a Positive Psychology Perspective-A Systematic Review. Front Psychol 2020; 11:765. [PMID: 32373038 PMCID: PMC7186493 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this review study is to explore the existing research focusing on the impact of foreign language learning among healthy seniors on their cognitive functions from the positive psychology perspective. The methods are based on a literature review of available sources found on the research topic in two acknowledged databases: Web of Science and Scopus. The search period was not limited by any time period since there are not many studies on this topic. Altogether seven original studies were detected. The findings of this review study thus reveal that foreign language learning (FLL) has a positive impact on the maintenance and/or enhancement of cognitive abilities irrespective of age. In addition, the FLL courses seem to offer new opportunities for healthy seniors in the area of socializing and integration into society, which consequently may positively affect their overall well-being. Furthermore, the research shows that it is partly through the stimulation of social well-being that the cognitive effects of FLL might be observed. Cognitive aspects of older age are to be further investigated, including the importance of learning a foreign language, as basically all research conducted proves at least some maintenance or even improvement of cognitive functions of older people when starting intensive language training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanka Klimova
- Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
| | - Marcel Pikhart
- Department of Applied Linguistics, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Hradec Kralove, Czechia
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Bilingualism in Primary Progressive Aphasia: A Retrospective Study on Clinical and Language Characteristics. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2020; 33:47-53. [PMID: 30640254 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of language. Being rare, reports of PPA in multilingual individuals are scarce, despite more than half of the world population being multilingual. METHODS We describe clinical characteristics of 33 bilingual patients with PPA, including symptom presentation and language deficits pattern in their first (L1) and second language (L2), through a systematic literature review and new cases retrospectively identified in 5 countries. RESULTS In total, 14 patients presented with nonfluent/agrammatic variant, 6 with semantic variant, and 13 with logopenic variant, with a median symptom onset of 2 years. Word-finding difficulties was the first symptom in 65% of all cases, initially noticed in L2, and not always the dominant language. Our group had 22 different languages as L1, and 9 as L2. At the whole-group level there was a tendency for parallel impairment in both languages, in line with the shared bilingual neural substrate hypothesis, but each PPA variant showed some heterogeneity. DISCUSSION Each PPA variant showed heterogeneity, showing the need for comprehensive language and cognitive assessment across languages, as well as further clarification on the role of language mediators.
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Brini S, Sohrabi HR, Hebert JJ, Forrest MRL, Laine M, Hämäläinen H, Karrasch M, Peiffer JJ, Martins RN, Fairchild TJ. Bilingualism Is Associated with a Delayed Onset of Dementia but Not with a Lower Risk of Developing it: a Systematic Review with Meta-Analyses. Neuropsychol Rev 2020; 30:1-24. [PMID: 32036490 PMCID: PMC7089902 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09426-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Some studies have linked bilingualism with a later onset of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Not all studies have observed such relationships, however. Differences in study outcomes may be due to methodological limitations and the presence of confounding factors within studies such as immigration status and level of education. We conducted the first systematic review with meta-analysis combining cross-sectional studies to explore if bilingualism might delay symptom onset and diagnosis of dementia, AD, and MCI. Primary outcomes included the age of symptom onset, the age at diagnosis of MCI or dementia, and the risk of developing MCI or dementia. A secondary outcome included the degree of disease severity at dementia diagnosis. There was no difference in the age of MCI diagnosis between monolinguals and bilinguals [mean difference: 3.2; 95% confidence intervals (CI): -3.4, 9.7]. Bilinguals vs. monolinguals reported experiencing AD symptoms 4.7 years (95% CI: 3.3, 6.1) later. Bilinguals vs. monolinguals were diagnosed with dementia 3.3 years (95% CI: 1.7, 4.9) later. Here, 95% prediction intervals showed a large dispersion of effect sizes (-1.9 to 8.5). We investigated this dispersion with a subgroup meta-analysis comparing studies that had recruited participants with dementia to studies that had recruited participants with AD on the age of dementia and AD diagnosis between mono- and bilinguals. Results showed that bilinguals vs. monolinguals were 1.9 years (95% CI: -0.9, 4.7) and 4.2 (95% CI: 2.0, 6.4) older than monolinguals at the time of dementia and AD diagnosis, respectively. The mean difference between the two subgroups was not significant. There was no significant risk reduction (odds ratio: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.68-1.16) in developing dementia among bilinguals vs. monolinguals. Also, there was no significant difference (Hedges' g = 0.05; 95% CI: -0.13, 0.24) in disease severity at dementia diagnosis between bilinguals and monolinguals, despite bilinguals being significantly older. The majority of studies had adjusted for level of education suggesting that education might not have played a role in the observed delay in dementia among bilinguals vs. monolinguals. Although findings indicated that bilingualism was on average related to a delayed onset of dementia, the magnitude of this relationship varied across different settings. This variation may be due to unexplained heterogeneity and different sources of bias in the included studies. Registration: PROSPERO CRD42015019100.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Brini
- Discipline of Psychology, Exercise Science, Chiropractic and Counselling, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Turku, Finland.
- Health Services Research and Management School of Health Sciences, City, University of London, London, UK.
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
| | - Hamid R Sohrabi
- Discipline of Psychology, Exercise Science, Chiropractic and Counselling, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jeffrey J Hebert
- Discipline of Psychology, Exercise Science, Chiropractic and Counselling, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Faculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada
| | - Mitchell R L Forrest
- Discipline of Psychology, Exercise Science, Chiropractic and Counselling, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Matti Laine
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Heikki Hämäläinen
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Mira Karrasch
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Jeremiah J Peiffer
- Discipline of Psychology, Exercise Science, Chiropractic and Counselling, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Ralph N Martins
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Timothy J Fairchild
- Discipline of Psychology, Exercise Science, Chiropractic and Counselling, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Randall N. A Survey of Robot-Assisted Language Learning (RALL). ACM TRANSACTIONS ON HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION 2020. [DOI: 10.1145/3345506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Robot-assisted language learning (RALL) is becoming a more commonly studied area of human-robot interaction (HRI). This research draws on theories and methods from many different fields, with researchers utilizing different instructional methods, robots, and populations to evaluate the effectiveness of RALL. This survey details the characteristics of robots used—form, voice, immediacy, non-verbal cues, and personalization—along with study implementations, discussing research findings. It also analyzes robot effectiveness. While research clearly shows that robots can support native and foreign language acquisition, it has been unclear what benefits robots provide over computer-assisted language learning. This survey examines the results of relevant studies from 2004 (RALL's inception) to 2017. Results suggest that robots may be uniquely suited to aid in language production, with apparent benefits in comparison to other technology. As well, research consistently indicates that robots provide unique advantages in increasing learning motivation and in-task engagement, and decreasing anxiety, though long-term benefits are uncertain. Throughout this survey, future areas of exploration are suggested, with the hope that answers to these questions will allow for more robust design and implementation guidelines in RALL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Randall
- School of Informatics, Computer Science, and Engineering, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
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Public Interest in Cognitive Impairment: An Analysis of the Top 50 Articles on Cognitive Impairment on Altmetric. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:1836471. [PMID: 32076605 PMCID: PMC7008295 DOI: 10.1155/2020/1836471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Background As the average life expectancy continues to increase, interest in cognitive impairment is increasing. Nowadays, as social media expands its reach, academic research is spreading through social media, changing the way and speed by which research is propagated and also who consumes this content. Therefore, using Altmetric, a new web-based set of metrics that analyzes the impact of content on social media platforms, we investigated the characteristics of influential research articles on the topic of cognitive impairment in social media. Methods An Altmetric Explorer search was performed on May 25, 2018, to extract the following information: (i) journal name, (ii) journal impact factor (IF), (iii) year of publication, (iv) article topic, (v) article type, and (vi) cognitive impairment subtype. Results The journal “Neurology” was the most cited journal for cognitive impairment articles shared on social media. Among the various types of cognitive impairment, most articles were related to dementia (all subtypes), Alzheimer's disease, and aging. The most common article type was original scientific paper, especially cohort study. The most popular topic was the identification of protective or risk factors for cognitive impairment. Conclusion The characteristics of articles with a high Altmetric Attention Score were somewhat different from those of articles with a high number of traditional citations. Social media had the disadvantage that it was difficult to verify the authenticity of the primary source in question, but the advantage was that it could immediately determine the trends regarding how information about that source was being shared and consumed. Therefore, it may be advisable to use Altmetric analysis in combination with traditional methods of evaluating the research articles to understand the dissemination of scientific research and to direct future research.
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Capturing multiple interaction effects in L1 and L2 object-naming reaction times in healthy bilinguals: a mixed-effects multiple regression analysis. BMC Neurosci 2020; 21:3. [PMID: 31952475 PMCID: PMC6969469 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-020-0549-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is difficult to set up a balanced higher-order full-factorial experiment that can capture multiple intricate interactions between cognitive and psycholinguistic factors underlying bilingual speech production. To capture interactions more fully in one study, we analyzed object-naming reaction times (RTs) by using mixed-effects multiple regression. Methods Ten healthy bilinguals (median age: 23 years, seven females) were asked to name 131 colored pictures of common objects in each of their languages. RTs were analyzed based on language status, proficiency, word choice, word frequency, word duration, initial phoneme, time series, and participant’s gender. Results Among five significant interactions, new findings include a facilitating effect of a cross-language shared initial phoneme (mean RT for shared phoneme: 974 ms vs. mean RT for different phoneme: 1020 ms), which profited males less (mean profit: 10 ms) than females (mean profit: 47 ms). Conclusions Our data support language-independent phonological activation and a gender difference in inhibitory cognitive language control. Single word production process in healthy adult bilinguals is affected by interactions among cognitive, phonological, and semantic factors.
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