Studies in Linguistics and Language Education
Volume 2, Numéro 1, Pages 127-154
2026-06-30
Multilingual Language Experience And Cognitive Reserve In Neurological Disorders: A Psycholinguistic Systematic Review
Authors : Mohammed Cherif Khansaa .
Abstract
Multilingual language use constitutes a form of sustained cognitive engagement requiring continuous coordination of multiple linguistic systems. Language selection, inhibition, and switching recruit executive control processes proposed to contribute to cognitive reserve ; the capacity to maintain cognitive functioning despite underlying neuropathology (Bialystok, Craik, & Luk, 2012). This systematic review, conducted following PRISMA guidelines across six databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase, and CINAHL), synthesizes empirical evidence on whether bilingual and multilingual experience is associated with cognitive differences in adults with neurological disorders. Eighteen studies published between 2010 and 2025 were identified across Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, frontotemporal dementia, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. Multilingualism was operationalized heterogeneously, ranging from categorical bilingual status to detailed language histories capturing proficiency, age of acquisition, and patterns of use. Several studies reported patterns consistent with cognitive reserve, including slower functional decline and dissociations between neuropathology and clinical performance, particularly on measures of executive function, attention, memory, and processing speed. Findings varied across disorders and were strongly influenced by how language experience was defined. The literature suggests that sustained multilingual engagement may interact with neural systems underlying language control and executive processing, though consistent evidence requires more rigorous characterization of multilingual exposure.
Keywords
multilingualism; bilingualism; cognitive reserve; language control; neurocognitive disorders
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