Bilingualism and Executive Functions

For this research experiment our team was able to recruit and test 36 Miami Dade College Students, (13 Monolingual , 22 bilinguals, and one trilingual). Participants ranged in age from 18- 30 years old. The study is part a collaboration with Nova Southeastern University (NSU). By administering a series of multiple audio, visual, and verbal tests our team was able to compare cognitive functioning between the two samples. The battery of tests consisted of : The Nonverbal Stroop Card Sorting Test (NSCST), Bilingual Verbal Ability Test (BVAT), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Shipley, and the N-BACK. We use language to express from the most basic forms of culture, communication, expression, and ideas to the most complex ones. Studies have shown that bilinguals brains work and even look differently than monolinguals, such as higher density of the brain’s grey matter (Fernandez, 2014) . As a Bilingual the brain undergoes higher development when you have to subconsciously translate and interpret multiple languages at once. Consequently, knowing two languages can result in slower responses. Depending on the type of bilingual, the person can get lost in translation and take longer to respond considering the dominant language interferes (Shook, 2012). In conclusion, our team will be testing both monolinguals and bilinguals to compare success rate in cognitive function

Working with Cuban American Families

In recent years, the literature on the topic of ethnic and racial issues in Alzheimer\u27s disease and other dementias has increased dramatically. At the same time, the need for cultural competence in all of geriatric care, including dementia care, is increasingly being acknowledged. Dementia is a large societal problem affecting all communities, regardless of race or ethnicity, and understanding dementia for specific groups is tremendously important for both clinical knowledge and for health planning as a nation. This third edition of Ethnicity and the Dementias offers invaluable background information in this area, while also examining how those suffering from dementia and their family members respond or adapt to the challenges that follow. Thoroughly updated and revised throughout, the book features contributions from leading clinicians and researchers in the field, with particular attention given to genetic and cultural factors related to dementia, effective prevention and treatment strategies, and issues in caregiving and family support.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facbooks/1584/thumbnail.jp