New research shows that changes in driving habits can serve as an early warning sign of cognitive decline in older individuals.
Changes in driving habits can include driving less, staying closer to home, and repeating the same route, according to study co-author and neurology researcher Ganesh Babulal.
“Driving to new places and managing unfamiliar routes requires memory, attention, and planning,” Babulal told NTD. “When those skills begin to decline, older adults often simplify their driving by avoiding longer or more complex trips.”
Without using traditional clinical tests, the study distinguished older adults with mild cognitive impairment from normal drivers with patterns of changes that included fewer trips that are over about 5 miles, less speeding, and fewer daytime trips, suggesting less willingness to go out.
The study involved participants who were an average age of 75 years old and nearly half were women.
“With just a small set of GPS-based measures, such as trip length, maximum distance from home, and route variety, we were able to identify older adults with mild cognitive impairment almost as well as when we added genetics and cognitive test scores,” Babulal said.
“With just a small set of GPS-based measures, such as trip length, maximum distance from home, and route variety, we were able to identify older adults with mild cognitive impairment almost as well as when we added genetics and cognitive test scores,” Babulal said.
GPS refers to Global Positioning System data collected by a receiver communicating with satellites and transmitting it for real-time monitoring or later analysis.
Babulal advises family members who are concerned about aging loved ones to refrain from secret tracking or unauthorized access to GPS data. Instead, family members should talk and explain to the older driver that monitoring patterns can help them stay safe and independent for longer.
“Ask if the person is willing to share access to the car’s app or online account, share insurance driving reports, share location history from a smartphone, or install a monitoring device that is tied to a shared family account,” Babulal added. “Ideally, this is set up early, as part of broader planning around health, finances, and driving, rather than in the middle of a crisis.”
