New research conducted by Nizam’s Institutes of Medical Sciences in India suggests that bilingualism can delay the onset of three types of dementia: frontotemporal, vascular, and Alzheimer’s disease. Of the patients studied who were diagnosed with dementia, over half were bilingual. These patients’ records showed that they had developed dementia, on average, 4.5 years later than their monolingual counterparts. Interestingly enough, the researchers also found that literacy did not play a factor in the delay period. How bilingualism actually slows the effects of dementia is still unclear, however. The science behind the mechanism of action is certain to be the next phase of research.

The original article can be found here: http://www.salon.com/2013/11/08/bilingualism_could_delay_onset_of_dementia_partner/