New research finds that driving less frequently and choosing more familiar routes is associated with greater cognitive decline.
Subtle changes in the way older people drive, including frequency of using the steering wheel and routes which they choose, may be early signs of cognitive decline.
According to a new published in Neurology, daily driving habits, when combined with standard clinical assessments, can help to identify individuals at risk long before a serious road accident occurs.
The study focused on 298 adults with an average age of 75, including 56 participants already diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, a common precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers equipped participants’ vehicles with GPS tracking devices and monitored your driving behavior up to 40 months. These detailed records were then analyzed in conjunction with established cognitive tests covering memory, attention and executive function, as well as demographic information such as age, education level and genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, reports .
Clear differences emerged between the two groups. Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) tended to drive less frequentlyvisiting fewer destinations, choosing simpler and more familiar routes and were less likely to exceed speed limits. Even after adjusting for other contributing factors, these patterns stood out as significant indicators of cognitive change over time. Alone, the driving data identified individuals with MCI with 82% accuracy. When combined with clinical and demographic information, accuracy rose to 87%.
“Early identification of elderly drivers at risk of accidents is a public health priority, but identifying people who are not safe behind the wheel it is challenging and time-consuming,” said study author Ganesh Babulal, who adds that GPS-based monitoring proved more informative than traditional risk markers such as age or memory test results alone.
Although some changes in direction may reflect the normal self-regulation that accompanies aging, researchers argue that consistent changes in driving habits may serve as a discreet and non-invasive window into cognitive health. Since driving requires a high degree of coordination and mental processing, small behavioral adjustments can signal a decline in function long before more obvious symptoms appear.
