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FAQ: Driving Habits as Early Indicators of Brain Health and Dementia Risk in Older Adults
TL;DR
Monitoring driving patterns with in-vehicle sensors gives caregivers an early advantage in identifying dementia risk before traditional symptoms appear.
A five-year study of 220 older adults linked white matter damage in the brain's visual processing region to decreased driving, repetitive routes, and more errors.
This research helps protect older adults' independence by using driving behavior as an early warning system for cognitive decline and dementia risk.
ACE inhibitors, common blood pressure medications, may help maintain safer driving habits in older adults even when brain scans show damage.
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The study found that greater white matter damage in the brain is linked to decreased driving, fewer trips, repetitive routes, and more driving errors in adults 65 and older, especially those who later developed dementia, suggesting driving habits may reveal early brain changes.
Subtle changes in everyday driving habits may serve as early warning signs of brain changes and higher dementia risk, potentially appearing before traditional memory and thinking symptoms are noticeable, offering a practical indicator for monitoring brain health.
Researchers reviewed driving habits for 220 adults ages 65+ living independently in St. Louis, Missouri, using car sensors to track behavior for over five years and conducting brain imaging within the first year to measure white matter hyperintensities (areas of damage from reduced blood flow).
The study was led by Chia-Ling Phuah, M.D., M.M.Sc., from Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, and it will be presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2026 in New Orleans, Feb. 4-6, 2026.
White matter damage in the back part of the brain, which helps process what people see and coordinate movement, was most strongly tied to unsafe driving and crashes, pointing to a potential early warning marker for higher driving risk in older adults.
Adults ages 65+ who were taking blood pressure medicines, particularly ACE inhibitors, were less likely to show risky driving behaviors, even when white matter brain damage was present, suggesting a protective effect.
The study is a research abstract presented at a scientific meeting and is not peer-reviewed; findings are considered preliminary until published as a full manuscript in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, so they should be interpreted with caution.
Monitoring changes in driving habits—such as reduced frequency, route repetition, or increased errors—could help identify early signs of brain health issues, allowing for earlier intervention and discussions with healthcare providers about cognitive risks.
For more details, refer to the American Heart Association 2026 Heart and Stroke Statistics, which notes about 6.9 million adults 65+ in the U.S. were living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2024.
Curated from NewMediaWire
