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Neural Signatures of Language and Cognition in Bilingual and Monolingual Children: Insights from the Meta-analyses of Pediatric Neuroimaging Studies

Poster Session A - Saturday, March 7, 3:00 – 5:00 pm, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballrooms

Monika Molnar¹ (monika.molnar@utoronto.ca), Kai Ian Leung¹, Pascale Tremblay²; ¹University of Toronto, ²Université Laval

Understanding the neural basis of bilingual language and cognition in children is a growing area of research. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic review of 26 neuroimaging studies comparing bilingual and monolingual children during linguistic and cognitive tasks. Six fMRI studies met criteria for inclusion in an exploratory coordinate-based meta-analysis. fNIRS studies were reviewed qualitatively due to insufficient statistical and methodological reporting. Meta-analytic findings revealed activation clusters in classical language regions, with notable differences based on bilinguals’ age of acquisition. Specifically, comparisons between bilingual subgroups and age-matched monolinguals identified differential activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)—the only region consistently emerging across fMRI studies—as well as additional regions spanning the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. These patterns mirror findings from adult bilingual neuroimaging literature, suggesting developmental continuity in the recruitment of key frontal and temporal areas for language and cognitive processing. However, the limited number of studies and substantial heterogeneity in participant characteristics, task paradigms, and imaging protocols constrain generalizability. Our review underscores the need for greater methodological consistency and transparency across neuroimaging modalities to support future meta-analytic efforts and advance understanding of bilingual brain development.

Topic Area: LANGUAGE: Development & aging