Being bilingual can 'protect against Alzheimer's'  BEING
bilingual exercises the brain and protects against Alzheimer's
disease, according to a new study.  Scientists believe mastering
two languages acts as a "mental gymnasium" by forcing the brain
to multi-task.  There is increasing evidence that bilingual
ability improves mental skills and can even stave off dementia.
The study, presented at a US science meeting yesterday, found
that bilingual Alzheimer's patients developed symptoms several
years later than those who spoke only one language.  The
findings contradict popular assumptions that switching between
two or more languages has a confusing "Tower of Babel" effect.
Professor Ellen Bialystok, from York University in Toronto,
looked at more than 200 Alzheimer's patients, half of whom were
bilingual. Among them were immigrants who had regularly used at
least two languages since early adulthood. They included
speakers of 21 first languages.  The study found that bilingual
patients had been diagnosed on a