Kirill Elin, Lund University, Department of Psychology

Background: Multilingualism has been linked to enhanced cognitive aging. This study investigated how the degree of multilingual engagement, quantified by Multilingual Language Diversity (MLD) scores, influences cognitive control and brain activity in older adults.

Methods: Using EEG, we examined 122 Norwegian-English bilinguals (ages 18-82) during a Flanker task. We assessed the impact of MLD on task-related neural activity (alpha band suppression) and behavioral performance (congruency effect).

Results: Higher MLD was associated with more efficient inhibitory control, reflected in smaller congruency effects and reduced alpha band suppression during the Flanker task.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that the degree of multilingual engagement may contribute to enhanced cognitive function in older adults by improving inhibitory control and optimizing neural processing.