MULTILINGUALISM VS BILINGUALISM: THE PROTECTIVE PLACE OF LANGUAGE AGAINST THE EARLY ONSET OF DEMENTIA

Abstract

Studies have shown that early bilingualism produces a 4.1 year delay in the onset of Dementia which is likely due to ‘cognitive reserve’, a situation where speaking multiple languages strengthens the brain’s neural networks causing less cognitive decline. However, emerging research shows that multilingualism (proficiency in three or four languages) provides stronger protection. This research aims to identify the factors that guarantee the effectiveness of multilingualism versus bilingualism in offering protection against Dementia. Data will be collected from a clinic serving a wide range of immigrant communities focusing on diagnosis, fluency levels, and naming ability of each speaker. The findings would contribute to a deeper understanding of some of the factors that ensure the effectiveness of the cognitive resilience of multilingualism vs bilingualism against dementia