Investigating speech changes in bilinguals as early signs of Alzheimer's disease
Official title: Speech Markers of Cognition in Aging Bilingualism
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-10872287 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the way bilingual people speak might change before they show signs of Alzheimer's, hoping to find clues that could help spot the disease earlier, especially for those who speak both Spanish and English.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $43,778 |
| NIH project number | 5F31AG077915-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10872287 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are Spanish-English bilingual individuals who may be at risk for Alzheimer's disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are monolingual or do not have a family history of Alzheimer's disease may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research explores how spontaneous speech patterns in bilingual individuals may change years before the onset of Alzheimer's disease. It focuses on identifying specific speech markers, such as simpler sentence structures and increased use of filler words, that could indicate early cognitive decline. By studying Spanish-English bilinguals, the research aims to uncover unique speech characteristics that may differ from those of monolingual speakers. The findings could enhance early diagnosis and understanding of Alzheimer's disease in bilingual populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease in bilingual individuals.
How similar studies have gone: While research on speech markers in monolinguals has shown promise, this specific approach in bilinguals is novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Garcia, Dalia — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Garcia, Dalia
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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.