Abstract

INTRODUCTION Multilingualism has been proposed as a protective factor against cognitive aging, but its effects are often intertwined with socioeconomic and sociolinguistic contexts, particularly whether an individual's first language is the societal majority or a minority language. METHODS We analyzed data from 3854 older adults in the Longitudinal Aging Study in India—Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI‐DAD). Participants were classified as monolingual, majority‐language multilingual, or minority‐language multilingual. Cognitive outcomes were examined across SES strata using multiple‐group models. RESULTS Higher SES was consistently associated with better cognition. Multilingualism was associated with better cognitive performance at medium and high SES levels, but not at low SES. Among multilinguals, majority‐language speakers outperformed minority‐language speakers at high SES …

Date

2026

Authors

Iris M Strangmann, Pranali Khobragade, Emma Nichols, Erik Meijer, Sarah Petrosyan, Shrikanth Narayanan, Jinkook Lee, Miguel Arce Rentería

Journal

Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring

Volume

18

Issue

1

Pages

e70280