Presentation

Somayya Saleemi¹, Shanna Kousaie¹; ¹University of Ottawa

Bilingualism is increasingly studied in the context of health and development. Learning a second language is believed to strengthen executive function (EF), contribute to cognitive reserve and neural reserve, and serve as a protective factor against neurodegenerative disease. Bilingualism has been found to be related to neural activation in several brain regions associated with language processing and control (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus), regions which are also involved in EF, including working memory (WM) and cognitive flexibility. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the interaction between language experience and cognition are unknown. In study 1 (behavioral pilot study), monolingual (ML) and bilingual (BL) young adults (YA) completed several executive function tasks, namely, the Stroop task (conflict monitoring and inhibition), the Simon task (stimulus-response conflict), and verbal and non-verbal versions of the n-back task (WM monitoring and updating). Participants also completed a comprehensive language questionnaire. Differences in the influence of language experience on verbal and non-verbal tasks were noted. Importantly, the behavioral data collected in this pilot study provided information about the suitability and feasibility of the tasks for use during electrophysiological recording and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), as well as identified appropriate language measures to include in a subsequent study. Study 2 is in the final stages of development, and based on recent recommendations in the literature, the sample will include 100 healthy YAs who vary in terms of language experience. In this study, a comprehensive language questionnaire will be administered to obtain detailed self-report information, including the timing and mode (e.g., informal vs. formal) of language learning, current patterns of language use, and language mixing/code-switching. The electroencephalography (EEG) and fMRI data collection will consist of resting-state and task-based recordings, using modified versions of the same task paradigms as study 1 that are optimized for each testing modality (e.g., a greater number of stimuli for EEG paradigms, additional baseline conditions and modified timing for fMRI paradigms). Event-related potentials (ERPs), with emphasis on the N2 and P3 ERP components, which have previously been investigated in relation to EF in BLs, will be examined in this study. (f)MRI data will also be examined to identify the underlying brain areas/networks that are related to language experience and EF. Each task will be investigated individually, and it is predicted that individual differences in language experience will be related to EF performance on non-verbal conditions that have higher EF demands or conflict. Furthermore, we expect to observe modulatory effects of language experience on the timing of EF processes, as measured by ERPs, and on neural recruitment in brain areas related to language and EF processing (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus), as measured by fMRI. The ultimate goal is to identify the brain mechanisms underlying the interaction between language experience and cognition, and language experience related neuroplasticity.

Topic Areas: Control, Selection, and Executive Processes, Multilingualism