Your driving could reveal early signs of dementia say academics

How someone drives their car has been linked to whether or not they are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, research reveals.

A year-long study of drivers aged 65+ has revealed that those whose medical tests identified them as being in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, also drove more slowly, made sudden driving changes, travelled less at night and drove fewer miles overall.

Researchers found that by studying the driving of 139 drivers in the US using GPS trackers, they could identify who had early signs of dementia.

Medical tests showed around half of study participants had early Alzheimer's disease, while the other half did not but researchers found driving differences between the two groups.

GPS trackers fitted to the participants' cars revealed detailed data on these movements and when they took place.

As well as driving more slowly and abruptly, drivers in the early stages of dementia also visited less destinations.

Sayeh Bayat, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, who led the study said: "In my PhD thesis, I am investigating whether GPS mobility can be used to explain, influence, and/or predict dementia. I believe how people interact with their environment reveals significant information about their health and well-being."

Researchers were able to forecast someone's likelihood of having early signs of Alzheimer's using just their age and their GPS driving data.

Sayeh Bayat is co-author of a study published on BioMed Central which states: ‘The model with driving indicators and age alone is the highest performing non-invasive and accessible choice.

‘This finding is important because, given the small size and ease of installation of vehicle GPS trackers, they can be mailed to clinics and individuals, allowing widespread use in different environments.’