How speaking two languages affects memory and dementia risk
Official title: Leveraging Longitudinal Data and Informatics Technology to Understand the Role of Bilingualism in Cognitive Resilience, Aging and Dementia
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11299036 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares older adults who speak two languages with those who speak one to find out if bilingualism helps protect thinking and delay dementia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,330,572 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG080429-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11299036 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults (typically 60+), including those who speak two languages or only one and who are willing to join follow-up visits or share their medical records, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with advanced dementia or those who cannot participate in follow-up visits or share medical records are unlikely to benefit directly from enrollment.
What this research studies
The team will use medical records from millions of patients at three hospitals to find people who are likely bilingual or monolingual using new computer methods. They will build reproducible algorithms to pull language and health information while accounting for lifestyle and other factors that affect thinking. The researchers will also follow a new group of older adults over time to track memory and thinking changes in bilingual and monolingual participants. Results and tools will be shared across hospitals so other researchers can apply the same methods.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify whether bilingualism helps delay dementia and guide lifestyle advice or early screening strategies for older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous observational studies have suggested a link between bilingualism and later dementia onset, but findings have been mixed and smaller studies lacked diverse, large datasets, so this larger multi-site approach is more comprehensive.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhou, Li — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Zhou, Li
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.