As people age, cognitive flexibility — the ability to adapt to unfamiliar or unexpected circumstances — and related "executive" functions decline. Recent studies suggest lifelong bilingualism may reduce this decline — a boost that may stem from the experience of constantly switching between languages. However, how brain activity differs between older bilinguals and monolinguals was previously unclear.

The University of Kentucky Center for Drug Abuse Research Translation (CDART) has received a $7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), funding which will continue the center's long history of developing novel intervention strategies that target high-risk individuals.