Bilingualism as a form of cognitive and social reserve

Project Summary

As our population ages and dementia rates increase, it is critical to identify factors that may protect against cognitive decline. Research has suggested that bilingualism protects against dementia – using more than one language may constitute “cognitive exercise” that staves off cognitive decline. Social interaction also helps people maintain their cognitive function. Researchers have thus focused on developing interventions to reduce social isolation in people at risk of dementia. However, these interventions must be tailored to individuals’ specific needs, meaning that we need a deep understanding of the factors influencing social connection. Social interaction depends on communication, and speaking more than one language affects how people communicate (e.g., who do you speak each language with? What is the language of your family, work, neighborhood?) We will examine how bilingual older adults’ language background and environment impact social isolation and cognitive outcomes.