Imagine your car warning about cognitive decline before you even notice it. It sounds like science fiction, but researchers have discovered that GPS tracking devices might be able to detect early signs of memory problems simply by monitoring how you drive.
Your daily driving patterns can serve as a powerful indicator of brain health, according to a study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Led by Ganesh M. Babulal from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the research followed around 300 older adults over more than three years to see if driving behavior could predict cognitive decline.
The study included 56 people with mild cognitive impairment, a condition that causes memory, language and judgment issues, but doesn’t affect daily activities. It is a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition, the study included a second group of 242 cognitively healthy individuals. Participants averaged 75 years old.
Every participant drove at least once weekly and agreed to have GPS tracking devices installed in their vehicles while also taking regular thinking skills tests.
The findings were striking. While both groups drove similarly at the study’s start, those with mild cognitive impairment gradually changed their habits over time. They drove less frequently each month, avoided nighttime driving and stuck to more familiar routes rather than varying their destinations.
The researchers analyzed various driving metrics including trip distances, speeding frequency and route variation. Using driving data alone, they could predict mild cognitive impairment with 82% accuracy.
When they combined driving information with age, demographics, cognitive test scores and genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s, accuracy jumped to 87%.
In contrast, using traditional factors without driving data achieved only 76% accuracy.
In a summary of the study findings, Babulal says:
“We found that using a GPS data tracking device, we could more accurately determine who had developed cognitive issues than looking at just factors such as age, cognitive test scores and whether they had a genetic risk factor related to Alzheimer’s disease.”
He adds that looking at people’s daily driving behavior “is a relatively low-burden, unobtrusive way to monitor people’s cognitive skills and ability to function.”
This approach could revolutionize early intervention strategies by identifying at-risk drivers before crashes or near-misses occur, which is typically when problems are currently detected.
The implications for public health are significant. Early identification of older drivers at risk for accidents has been challenging, often requiring time-consuming assessments.
GPS tracking offers a passive monitoring solution that could catch brain changes early without requiring constant clinical visits or invasive testing.
Babulal emphasizes the need for ethical considerations, noting the importance of respecting people’s autonomy, privacy and informed decision-making.
The study has limitations. Most participants were highly educated white individuals, so the results may not apply universally to all populations.
The National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging supported the research.
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