Bilingualism has been identified as a potential generator of cognitive advantages and modulator of brain plasticity. This chapter begins with a description of how bilingualism has been associated with cognitive changes across the life span, starting in infancy and continuing through childhood to adulthood and senescence. The sociocultural perspective of bilingualism is presented. The influence of bilingualism in neural development including structural and functional brain changes is later reviewed. A final section analyzes the brain-acquired language disturbances (aphasia) and dementia characteristics in bilinguals.
