CCNA’s Talking Brains webinar series

April 21, 2026, 12 – 1 pm EST

Sex differences, bilingual experience, and cognitive reserve in mild cognitive impairment

Speaker: Noelia Calvo

Although women are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease and bilingualism has been associated with enhanced cognitive reserve, the combined influence of sex and bilingual experience on dementia-related resilience is not well understood. In a sample of 335 older adults with mild cognitive impairment from a Canadian cohort, we investigated the interplay between biological sex, bilingualism, and circulating sex hormones in relation to cognitive performance and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers. Structural equation modeling was used to generate an individualized resilience score, which was then examined in relation to diagnostic status and blood-based indicators of neurodegeneration.

Bilingual individuals demonstrated greater resilience compared to monolinguals, and among bilinguals, men showed higher resilience scores than women. Elevated resilience was linked to reduced likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease and lower concentrations of p-tau181, neurofilament light, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Verbal episodic memory played a central mediating role connecting sex and bilingualism to overall cognitive functioning. These results highlight distinct resilience patterns shaped by sex and language background in mild cognitive impairment, suggesting a possible resilience advantage among older bilingual men.

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