Are Driving Habits Linked to Brain Health? Study Finds Monitoring Driving Could Help Detect Cognitive Changes
Are Driving Habits Linked to Brain Health? Study Finds Monitoring Driving Could Help Detect Cognitive Changes
posted: Dec. 16, 2025
New research suggests that the way you drive reveals information about your brain health. This study, published in Neurology®, shows that monitoring driving patterns could help identify mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, earlier than traditional cognitive tests and with surprising accuracy.
What Researchers Found
Study participants included 56 people with mild cognitive impairment and 242 people who were cognitively healthy. Everyone drove at least one time each week and agreed to install a GPS-based tracker in their car.
At first, both groups had similar driving habits, but over time, people with mild cognitive impairment:
Drove less often
Avoided night driving
Stuck to familiar routes
Researchers looked at factors such as trip length, driving speed, and how often routes changed. Based on driving data alone, they were able to identify mild cognitive impairment with 82 percent accuracy. When factoring in age, cognitive test results, and genetic risk, accuracy rose to 87 percent—compared to just 76 percent accuracy achieved without any driving data considered.
Why It’s Important
“Looking at people’s daily driving behavior is a relatively low-burden, unobtrusive way to monitor people’s cognitive skills and ability to function,” said study author Ganesh M. Babulal, PhD, OTD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “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. Of course, we also need to respect people’s autonomy, privacy, and informed decision-making and ensure ethical standards are met.”
Next Steps for You
If you are concerned about cognitive changes, either for yourself or a loved one, consider the following:
Pay attention to signs of driving impairment. This includes going too fast or too slow, getting confused by stop signs and traffic signals, and having difficulty changing lanes or making turns.
Request an assessment. As people age, driving skills should be evaluated regularly. Check with a doctor and consider completing a self-rated driving assessment online.
Plan ahead. Discuss alternative transportation options early to maintain independence if driving becomes difficult.
Tracking driving habits could be a valuable way to catch cognitive changes early and help people stay safe and independent longer.
posted: Dec. 16, 2025
New research suggests that the way you drive reveals information about your brain health. This study, published in Neurology®, shows that monitoring driving patterns could help identify mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, earlier than traditional cognitive tests and with surprising accuracy.
What Researchers Found
Study participants included 56 people with mild cognitive impairment and 242 people who were cognitively healthy. Everyone drove at least one time each week and agreed to install a GPS-based tracker in their car.
At first, both groups had similar driving habits, but over time, people with mild cognitive impairment:
Drove less often
Avoided night driving
Stuck to familiar routes
Researchers looked at factors such as trip length, driving speed, and how often routes changed. Based on driving data alone, they were able to identify mild cognitive impairment with 82 percent accuracy. When factoring in age, cognitive test results, and genetic risk, accuracy rose to 87 percent—compared to just 76 percent accuracy achieved without any driving data considered.
Why It’s Important
“Looking at people’s daily driving behavior is a relatively low-burden, unobtrusive way to monitor people’s cognitive skills and ability to function,” said study author Ganesh M. Babulal, PhD, OTD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “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. Of course, we also need to respect people’s autonomy, privacy, and informed decision-making and ensure ethical standards are met.”
Next Steps for You
If you are concerned about cognitive changes, either for yourself or a loved one, consider the following:
Pay attention to signs of driving impairment. This includes going too fast or too slow, getting confused by stop signs and traffic signals, and having difficulty changing lanes or making turns.
Request an assessment. As people age, driving skills should be evaluated regularly. Check with a doctor and consider completing a self-rated driving assessment online.
Plan ahead. Discuss alternative transportation options early to maintain independence if driving becomes difficult.
Tracking driving habits could be a valuable way to catch cognitive changes early and help people stay safe and independent longer.
Please leave your review by scanning the following QR code
