Studying the impact of bilingualism on cognitive reserve/resilience using socio-demographically and linguistically diverse populations (Multiverse)

Phase

N/A

Condition

Mild Cognitive Impairment

Alzheimer's Disease

Treatment

N/A

Clinical Study ID

TX312803

22-37848

Ages 50-100
All Genders
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Summary

The Multiverse research project focuses on studying the role of bilingualism in cognitive reserve through three socio-demographically and linguistically diverse cohorts: Chinese Americans, Mexican Americans, and Indians. In this project, the University of California, San Francisco, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, and the Health and Aging Brain-Health Disparities study joint effort to assemble one of the largest, multicultural, multilingual, and well-characterized cohort of 2,200 individuals to build a theoretical framework for bilingualism and cognitive reserve.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

Inclusion Criteria:

Age 50-year-old and above
Self-identified as Chinese American
Cognitively healthy individuals OR clinically diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment OR clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Speaks either Mandarin, Cantonese, English

Exclusion

Exclusion Criteria:

Individuals with history of brain surgery, major brain trauma (ICU hospitalized), symptomatic stroke, brain tumor, and other neurological diseases that impacts cognitive functions
Individuals with visual impairment that affect participant’s ability to visualize study materials
Severe hearing impairment (>70db)
Contraindicated for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) including pregnancy, intraocular or intracranial metal implants, cardiac pacemaker or claustrophobia

Study Design

May 01, 2023

March 31, 2028

Study Description

This study team will collect cross-sectional data on cognition, imaging, molecular biomarkers, language background, and social determinants of health (SDOH), and follow-up language, SDOH, and cognitive data for three years. We intend to build a theoretical framework on the cognitive role of bilingualism by deconstructing bilingualism and examining its features via a multidimensional lens. We will examine the inter-relationship of this multidimensional bilingualism construct with cognition and social determinants of health using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging and AD/ADRD molecular biomarkers. This proposed study will provide novel mechanistic insights into the multidimensionality of bilingualism and create an exclusive opportunity to study the cognitive relevance of bilingualism using socio-demographically and linguistically diverse cohorts. This study also has the unique settings to evaluate the generalizability of the proposed cognitive-bilingualism theoretical framework across populations that differ in sociocultural, demographic, and linguistic background. If you choose to be in this study, you will receive a neurological examination, cognitive and behavioral tests (including paper and pencil tests, computer/tablet tests and surveys), brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and blood draw. The procedures take about 8 hours and can be completed within one month in stages. Though part of the cognitive and behavioral tests can be done remotely via virtual (computer-based) testing, you will have to visit the UCSF Memory and Aging Center at least once to complete the neurological examination, brain MRI, and blood draw. You will be invited to participate in this study for a total of three years, with one initial study visit and two annual follow-up visits.

Connect with a study center

University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California 94158
United States
Active - Recruiting

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