Bilingualism: consequences for mind and brain. Ellen Bialystok. Feature Review. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, April 2012, Vol. 16, No. 4

Building on earlier evidence showing a beneficial effect of bilingualism on children’s cognitive development, we review recent studies using both behavioral and neuro- imaging methods to examine the effects of bilingualism on cognition in adulthood and explore possible mecha- nisms for these effects. This research shows that bilin- gualism has a somewhat muted effect in adulthood but a larger role in older age, protecting against cognitive decline, a concept known as ‘cognitive reserve’. We discuss recent evidence that bilingualism is associated with a delay in the onset of symptoms of dementia. Cognitive reserve is a crucial research area in the context of an aging population; the possibility that bilingualism contributes to cognitive reserve is therefore of growing importance as populations become increasingly diverse.