The effects of bilingualism on age-related cognitive and neurobiological declines

项目总监/首席调查员(最后、第一、中间)： 执行控制指的是一套使人类能够灵活地塑造思想的监督过程 和行为，以实现内部目标。正常的人类衰老与明显的 执行控制功能下降。然而，最近的证据表明，终身双语可能会 减轻与年龄相关的一些执行控制功能的下降。这些发现表明， 双语可能会促进神经可塑性和/或代偿性大脑储备。然而，尽管 潜在的巨大社会和科学影响，这一领域存在着相当大的知识差距。这个 目前的工作将通过一系列旨在了解影响的研究来填补其中的一些空白 双语对认知和神经生物学在衰老方面的影响。具体目标1是获得更详细的信息 关于终身双语对高级工作记忆过程的影响的信息。特定的 AIMS 2-4使用尖端神经成像方法了解双语的神经生物学基础 执行控制优势。这些目的是了解潜在的功能神经解剖学(目标2)， 结构灰质(目标3)和白质微结构(目标4)双语能力的基础 优势，通过将成像模式直接与行为表现联系起来。具体目标5是确定 哪些双语认知/神经生物学优势与经验/实践程度有关 第二语言。鉴于老年人口的预计增长，重要的是了解如何 特定的生活方式因素可能会影响与年龄相关的认知和神经生物学衰退。调查结果： 本提案将详细描述可访问的生活方式变量如何抵消年龄- 通过神经生物学可塑性和/或代偿性脑储备，相关的认知能力下降。最后， 与理解双语后果相关的研究是一个基本的问题 在我们越来越多的语言社会中，这一点非常重要。 PHS 398/2590(11/07版)页面续格式页面

Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle): Executive control refers to a set of supervisory processes that enable humans to flexibly shape thoughts and behavior in order to accomplish internal goals. Normal human aging is associated with marked decline in executive control functions. However, recent evidence suggests that lifelong bilingualism may attenuate age-related declines of some executive control functions. These findings suggest that bilingualism may promote neuroplasticity and/or compensatory brain reserve. However, despite potentially large social and scientific implications, considerable knowledge gaps exist in this field. The present work will fill several of these gaps through a series of studies aimed to understand the influences of bilingualism on cognition and neurobiology in aging. Specific Aim 1 is to obtain more detailed information about the influence of lifelong bilingualism on high-level working memory processes. Specific Aims 2-4 use cutting-edge neuroimaging methods to understand the neurobiological bases of bilingual executive control advantages. These aims are to understand potential functional neuroanatomic (Aim 2), structural grey matter (Aim 3), and white matter microstructure (Aim 4) bases of bilingual performance advantages, by linking imaging patterns directly to behavioral performance. Specific Aim 5 is to determine which bilingual cognitive/neurobiological advantages correlate with degree of experience/practice with the second language. Given the projected increase in the aged population, it is important to understand how specific lifestyle factors may affect age-related cognitive and neurobiological declines. Results from the present proposal will provide a detailed description of how an accessible lifestyle variable can offset age- related cognitive declines through neurobiological plasticity and/or compensatory brain reserve. Finally, research relevant to understanding the consequences of bilingualism is an issue of fundamental importance in our increasingly multilingual society. PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 11/07) Page Continuation Format Page