Abstract

Background
Multilingualism is hypothesized to protect late life cognition such that older multilinguals demonstrate better cognitive functioning compared to monolinguals. However, several studies have failed to find evidence of a multilingual advantage among aging populations. Methodological differences such as inconsistent accounting of critical environmental and sociocultural factors (e.g., educational experiences, lifecourse socioeconomic status, residential urbanicity) associated with multilingualism may explain these inconsistent findings. Furthermore, the lack of research conducted in low‐ and middle‐income countries limit the generalizability of these findings. India offers a unique opportunity to study the role of multilingualism in cognitive aging, given its rich linguistic and sociocultural diversity.
Method
The current study utilizes a national representative sample of older Indian adults from the Harmonized …

Date

2022

Authors

Sarah Petrosyan, Miguel Arce Renteria, Jennifer J Manly, Shrikanth Narayanan, Jinkook Lee

Journal

Alzheimer's & Dementia

Volume

18

Pages

e065968