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Driving Habits May Signal Cognitive Decline | Alzheimer’s & Dementia Research

by Olivia Martinez
written by Olivia Martinez 0 comments

Subtle changes in driving patterns may soon offer a new, proactive way to assess cognitive health, according to research published this week in *Neurology*. A study from Washington University School of Medicine suggests that GPS data tracking driving habits can identify early signs of cognitive decline,perhaps with greater accuracy than traditional testing methods[[1]]. as the population ages and diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias rise, researchers are seeking less intrusive tools for early detection and intervention[[2]].

Changes in driving habits could serve as an early warning sign of cognitive decline, according to new research. Identifying subtle shifts in how people navigate roadways may offer a less intrusive way to detect cognitive issues before they escalate.
“We found that using a GPS tracking device, we could more accurately determine who had developed cognitive problems than relying solely on factors like age, scores on cognitive tests, and whether they had a genetic risk factor associated with Alzheimer’s disease,” explained Ganesh Babulal, lead author of the study and researcher at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.
The team published their findings on November 26 in the journal Neurology.
As Babulal stated in a press release accompanying the study, “Early identification of older drivers at risk of crashes is a public health priority, but identifying those who are unsafe is challenging and time-consuming.”
Could simply tracking everyday behaviors, such as driving, offer a solution?
The St. Louis-based research team initially included 56 individuals already diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which can sometimes precede Alzheimer’s disease.
They also included 242 individuals of similar age without such diagnoses. The average age of the entire group was 75, and all participants reported driving at least once a week.
All participants underwent standard cognitive skills testing and agreed to have a specialized GPS tracker installed in their vehicles to monitor their driving patterns.
Initially, driving patterns between those with and without cognitive impairment appeared similar, researchers found.
However, over time, differences emerged: individuals with MCI began driving less frequently, less often at night, and exhibited less variation in their driving locations compared to those without cognitive issues.
When this data was combined with information about a person’s age, demographics, cognitive test results, and the presence of genes associated with Alzheimer’s, the accuracy of detecting cognitive impairment increased to 87%, according to the researchers.
“Analyzing people’s daily behavior behind the wheel is a relatively unobtrusive and discreet way to monitor cognitive skills and functional abilities,” Babulal said.

“This could help identify drivers at risk before an early intervention, before they have a crash or near-miss, which is often what happens now. Of course, we must also respect people’s autonomy, privacy, and informed decision-making, and ensure that ethical standards are met.”

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