Bilingualism of Seniors Can Avert Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease

Seniors between the ages of 60 and 68 who had spoken two languages for the majority of their lives were faster at switching from one mental task to another compared to monolingual seniors, according to a new study published in the January issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The findings complement information gathered by an earlier study from Stanford University indicating bilingual immigrants have better overall health.

“What we found out is we need to do more to find what drives this,” Ariela Schachter, a sociology Ph.D student who headed up the Stanford University research, said at the time. Like the 2013 study, Schachter was able to show being bilingual enabled faster mental task switching, a process which utilizes complex pathways within the brain.

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