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  • York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

    I think it could be the place to post that.
    I found it funny

    http://www.yorku.ca/mediar/archive/R...p?Release=1192

    York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia


    TORONTO, January 12, 2007 -- The lifelong use of two languages can help delay the onset of dementia symptoms by four years, says a study headed up by a <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:PLACE w:st="on"><ST1:PLACENAME w:st="on">York</ST1:PLACENAME> <ST1:PLACETYPE w:st="on">University</ST1:PLACETYPE></ST1:PLACE> professor.
    "We are pretty dazzled by the results," says Ellen Bialystok, a professor of psychology in <ST1:CITY w:st="on"><ST1:PLACE w:st="on">York</ST1:PLACE></ST1:CITY>?s Faculty of Health.<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O:P></O:P> The study was conducted through the Rotman Research Institute, part of the Baycrest Research Centre for Aging and the Brain.<ST1:PLACE w:st="on"><ST1:CITY w:st="on">Bialystok</ST1:CITY></ST1:PLACE>?s research team included psychologist Dr. Fergus Craik, and neurologist Dr. Morris Freedman, an authority on the mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment due to diseases such as Alzheimer's. <O:P></O:P>
    Researchers examined the diagnostic records of 184 patients with cognitive complaints. Of that group, 91 were monolingual and 93 were bilingual. The latter included speakers of 25 different languages, the most prevalent being Polish, Yiddish, German, Romanian and Hungarian. They found that 132 patients met criteria for probable Alzheimer's; the remaining 52 were diagnosed with other forms of dementia. Patient data included Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (a measure of general cognitive functioning), and years of education and occupation. The MMSE scores were equivalent for the monolingual and bilingual groups at their initial visit to the clinic, indicating comparable levels of impairment. <O:P></O:P>
    The researchers determined that the mean age of onset of dementia symptoms in the monolingual group was 71.4 years, while the bilingual group was 75.5 years. This difference remained even after considering the possible effect of cultural differences, immigration, formal education, employment and even gender as influencers in the results.<O:P></O:P>
    "There are no pharmacological interventions that are this dramatic," says Dr. Freedman, who is Head of the Division of Neurology, and Director of the Memory Clinic at Baycrest, referring to the four-year delay in onset of symptoms for bilingual patients.<O:P></O:P>
    "The data show a huge protective effect," adds co-investigator Dr. Craik, who cautioned that this is still a preliminary finding but nonetheless in line with a number of other recent findings about lifestyle effects on dementia. <O:P></O:P>
    The team is working on a follow-up study that will further examine bilingualism and dementia onset. They plan to conduct interviews and cognitive assessments on bilingual and monolingual patients in Baycrest's Memory Clinic and follow them for several years.<O:P></O:P>
    The study is published in the February 2007 issue of Neuropsychologia (Vol.45, No.2).<O:P></O:P>

    Media contact:

    Melissa Hughes, Media Relations, <ST1:PLACE w:st="on"><ST1:PLACENAME w:st="on"><ST1:PLACE u1:st="on"><ST1:PLACENAME u1:st="on">York</ST1:PLACENAME></ST1:PLACE> <ST1:PLACETYPE w:st="on"><ST1:PLACETYPE u1:st="on">University</ST1:PLACETYPE></ST1:PLACETYPE></ST1:PLACENAME>, 416 736 2100 x22097 / mehughes@yorku.ca</ST1:PLACE>

  • #2
    Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

    Hooray!!! All those years studying Spanish pay off!!!

    Muy bien!! Cuatro mas anos!!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

      Does "speaking toggletext" count?
      ...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. - Sherlock Holmes

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

        Yes - Toggletextese counts as does Googleish.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

          Qu'est-ce que ca veut dire, le "Toggletextese"? Je l'oublie.

          J.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

            Originally posted by cartski
            Qu'est-ce que ca veut dire, le "Toggletextese"? Je l'oublie.

            J.
            Toggletext.com est le traducteur de machine que nous employons pour traduire des nouvelles d'indon?sien ? l'anglais. Par cons?quent, "toggletextese".

            Mon ?criture fran?aise horrible ici est un exemple de Googleish. Mes excuses!
            ...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. - Sherlock Holmes

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

              Programming languages?

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

                Originally posted by AnneZ
                Programming languages?
                Machine-translators!
                ...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. - Sherlock Holmes

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

                  Originally posted by Theresa42
                  Toggletext.com est le traducteur de machine que nous employons pour traduire des nouvelles d'indon?sien ? l'anglais. Par cons?quent, "toggletextese".

                  Mon ?criture fran?aise horrible ici est un exemple de Googleish. Mes excuses!
                  Bon dieux! Ton fran?ais est excellent Th?resa!

                  Sans blague, ?a me donne une bonne id?e de ce que peut avoir l'air l'anglais que j'?cris.

                  Googleish, c'est vraiment hilarant! j'adore.

                  Ouaip! No dementia allowed here por favor!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

                    That study was done on speakers of another language.

                    I would love to hear some one speaking toggletext

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: York prof finds bilingualism can delay onset of dementia

                      I have been learning American!

                      Comment

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