The interaction effects of bilingual language experience and Alzheimer's Disease predisposition on cognitive performance and brain activity in middle-aged adults.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) will be one of the major challenges in health care in the upcoming years. Research has shown that bilingualism may attenuate AD diagnosis and trajectory of symptoms, but the specifics remain unknown. In this project, the effect of bilingual experiences on cognition and brain activity in two groups of middle-aged adults will be investigated: a group that is genetically at-risk for AD and a group for whom that is not the case. By investigating genetic predispositions for AD, we hope to understand how bilingualism as a cognitively-enriching lifestyle factor contributes to healthy aging.