Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Jun;75(6):959-63.
doi: 10.1002/ana.24158. Epub 2014 Jun 2.

Does bilingualism influence cognitive aging?

Thomas H Bak  1 , Jack J Nissan, Michael M Allerhand, Ian J Deary
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Does bilingualism influence cognitive aging?

Thomas H Bak et al. Ann Neurol. 2014 Jun.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Recent evidence suggests a positive impact of bilingualism on cognition, including later onset of dementia. However, monolinguals and bilinguals might have different baseline cognitive ability. We present the first study examining the effect of bilingualism on later-life cognition controlling for childhood intelligence. We studied 853 participants, first tested in 1947 (age = 11 years), and retested in 2008-2010. Bilinguals performed significantly better than predicted from their baseline cognitive abilities, with strongest effects on general intelligence and reading. Our results suggest a positive effect of bilingualism on later-life cognition, including in those who acquired their second language in adulthood.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A–C) Interaction between bilingualism, childhood intelligence quotient (IQ), and cognitive performance at age 73 years. (A) Memory in relation to the age of acquisition of the second language. (B) Moray House Test (MHT) in relation to the age of acquisition of the second language. (C) MHT in relation to the pattern of use of the second language. The abscissa in all 3 graphs is the IQ measured at age 11 years. The ordinate is g-memory (A) and MHT (B, C). (A, B) Never = monolingual group; Early = before age 18 years; Late = after age 18 years. (C) Mono = monolingual; Passive = second language not used in the past 5 years; Active = second language used actively in the past 5 years.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kavé G, Eyal N, Shorek A, Cohen-Mansfield J. Multilingualism and cognitive state in the oldest old. Psychol Aging. 2008;23:70–78. - PubMed
    1. Bialystok E, Craik FI, Freedman M. Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia. Neuropsychologia. 2007;45:459–464. - PubMed
    1. Craik FI, Bialystok E, Freedman M. Delaying the onset of Alzheimer disease: bilingualism as a form of cognitive reserve. Neurology. 2010;75:1726–1729. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chertkow H, Whitehead V, Phillips N. Multilingualism (but not always bilingualism) delays the onset of Alzheimer disease: evidence from a bilingual community. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2010;24:118–125. - PubMed
    1. Alladi S, Bak TH, Duggirala V. Bilingualism delays age at onset of dementia, independent of education and immigration status. Neurology. 2013;81:1938–1944. - PubMed