WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A new study revealed that the way older adults choose their travel times and driving routes might give clues about future cognitive decline.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found that people who start driving less often and choose familiar routes more frequently may need early support, as they could be at higher risk of future road accidents.
The study included 56 older adults with mild cognitive impairment (a condition that can lead to Alzheimer's disease) and 242 older adults with normal thinking abilities. Their average age was 75, and everyone was driving at least once a week when the study began.
Participants took thinking and memory tests and allowed researchers to place tracking devices in their cars. They were monitored for more than three years.
At the beginning, both groups had similar driving habits. But over time, people with mild cognitive impairment showed noticeable changes, such as driving fewer times per month, driving less often at night, and showing less variety in the places they traveled to.
Researchers used driving data, such as average and maximum travel distance, how often someone sped, and how much they changed their driving routine, to predict whether someone had developed mild cognitive impairment with 82 percent accuracy.
When driving data was combined with age, test scores and genetic risk for Alzheimer's, the prediction accuracy increased to 87 percent. Without the driving information, the accuracy was only 76 percent.
'This could help identify drivers who are at risk earlier for early intervention, before they have a crash or near-miss, which is often what happens now,' noted neurology researcher Ganesh Babulal.
'Of course, we also need to respect people's autonomy, privacy, and informed decision-making and ensure ethical standards are met.'
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