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Neuropsicologia Latinoamericana

On-line version ISSN 2075-9479

Abstract

ADROVER-ROIG, Daniel  and  ANSALDO, Ana Inés. El bilinguismo como factor de proteción en el envejecimiento cognitivo. Neuropsicologia Latinoamericana [online]. 2009, vol.1, n.1, pp. 1-15. ISSN 2075-9479.

Bilinguals' attentional control allows them to switch between languages while minimizing mutual interferences between them. This exhaustive review presents a body of evidence that demonstrates both a larger cognitive control capacity in bilinguals (especially among the elderly), and also its implications on the age-related cognitive decline. We report results of both behavioural and neuroimaging studies, which have employed tasks devoted to investigate interference control, among others. We further link bilingualism with the cognitive reserve theory, and also point out the need of its inclusion among the current models of cognitive ageing. Further research fields and new variables to account for are considered. Due to the growing interest in the relationship between cognitive function and neural change, some neural candidates that could account for the "bilingual advantage" are proposed, especially with regard to interference control.

Keywords : Aging; Bilingualism; Attention control; Cognitive reserve.

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