2026/02/06 by Lihua Xia, Kang Ren, Ina Demetriou +4 · 1 voice
Medicine · Neuroscience · Psychology · #Categorization, perception, and language #Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research #Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
paper · doi:10.31234/osf.io/72rd4_v1
openalex publication_date 2026/02/06 · openalex created_date 2026/02/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
ObjectivesIdentifying modifiable factors that shape cognitive aging trajectories is a central goal in aging research. This study examined whether bilingualism is associated with dementia status and longitudinal cognitive decline, and whether associations vary by ethnicity or gender.MethodsWe analyzed Wave 7 data from the Health and Aging Brain Study—Health Disparities (HABS-HD), a longitudinal US cohort of adults aged ≥50 years. Bilingualism was defined by self-reported use of a second language. Cross-sectional analyses included 4,140 participants (1,013 bilinguals); longitudinal analyses included 1,760 participants (522 bilinguals) followed for up to four visits at approximately 2-year intervals. Outcomes were baseline dementia status and latent factor scores for executive function and episodic memory derived from 11 neuropsychological tests. Regression and linear mixed-effects models assessed associations, adjusting for age, education, gender, ethnicity and practice effects.ResultsResults indicated that bilingualism was not associated with baseline dementia status or conversion to probable dementia. Cross-sectionally, associations varied by ethnicity: Hispanic bilinguals showed higher executive function and episodic memory scores. No advantage was seen in White participants; conversely, Black bilinguals had lower episodic memory scores. Longitudinally, bilingualism was associated with slower episodic memory decline independent of sociodemographic factors; no longitudinal association was observed for executive function. DiscussionThese findings suggest that bilingualism may confer domain-specific benefits for memory trajectories in later life, while cross-sectional differences appear shaped by sociocultural context. The results underscore the importance of considering ethnic diversity and language history when evaluating experiential influences on cognitive aging.