# Assessment of Language and Cognition in Older Deaf Signers

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2023 · $688,508

## Abstract

This proposed project will develop tests and methods for assessment of cognitive status in deaf older adults
(aged ≥65), focusing primarily on those who use both American Sign Language (ASL) and written English to
communicate. In spoken language bilinguals, sensitivity to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is maximized when
testing occurs in the dominant language, but it is not known if this applies to bilingual deaf seniors, a group that
presents many challenges for assessment and diagnosis. Few tests have been developed for administration
with deaf signers, and vanishingly little is known about the behavioral presentation of AD in this population. In
Aim 1 we will develop tests of language proficiency, list memory, and executive function (i.e., Stroop) that can
be administered in ASL or English. We will investigate which language maximizes test performance in deaf
ASL-English bilinguals, information we believe is critical for avoiding a false-positive diagnosis of AD. Many
seniors who were pre-lingually deaf suffered language deprivation that could alter the behavioral presentation
of AD since they lacked full access to a spoken language and their use of sign language was discouraged. In
Aim 2 we will test a small sample of deaf signers with probable AD to determine which language of testing
maximizes differences between patients and controls (tested in Aim 1), and if deaf signers with probable AD
exhibit patterns of impairment found in hearing AD (including reduced delayed recall, reduced primacy effects,
increased proactive interference on list memory tests, and increased errors on Stroop tests). We will also
conduct a detailed exploratory linguistic analysis of proficiency narratives, aiming to identify how AD affects
production of more complex and naturalistic forms of language in deaf signers. In Aim 3 we will examine the
possible effects of language deprivation and speech/sign bilingualism on cognitive reserve by recruiting 2
additional comparison groups of cognitively healthy monolingual seniors: those with normal hearing and those
with late-onset aging-related deafness. Individuals who lost their hearing late-in-life have reduced exposure to
linguistic interactions because of their hearing loss, and this increases their dementia risk. Comparison of
these groups will provide a unique lens on the possible effects of early versus recent language deprivation on
cognition. Participation of seniors with aging-related deafness will also increase the potential significance of the
proposed work by providing data on written English tests which may be useful for assessment of monolingual
seniors with late-life hearing loss. This project will constitute a major advancement in tests and procedures for
cognitive assessment of older deaf signers, a historically disadvantaged group, will improve understanding of
how diverse linguistic backgrounds may alter the behavioral presentation of AD, and will contribute to the NIA
mission to “Understand health disparities...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10551287
- **Project number:** 5R01AG074928-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Tamar Gollan
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $688,508
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-01-15 → 2026-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10551287

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10551287, Assessment of Language and Cognition in Older Deaf Signers (5R01AG074928-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10551287. Licensed CC0.

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