Cognitive Performance, Driving Behavior, and Attitudes over Time in Older Adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Transportation Safety

Background:

• Cognitive performance naturally declines with age, potentially impacting older adults' driving capabilities.
• Understanding the relationship between cognitive changes and driving behaviors is crucial for maintaining mobility and safety in aging populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between changes in cognitive function and alterations in driving perceptions, attitudes, and self-regulatory behaviors among healthy older adults.
• To explore how cognitive slowing and executive dysfunction relate to perceived driving abilities and driving avoidance.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study involving 928 healthy older adults.
• Annual cognitive assessments and self-report questionnaires on driving perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors over two years.
• Multivariate statistical analysis to determine relationships between cognitive measures and self-report data.

Main Results:

• Small but statistically significant correlations were found between cognitive tests and self-report measures.
• The Trails B cognitive task showed the strongest associations with perceived driving abilities (β = -0.32) and situational driving avoidance (β = 0.55).
• Cognitive slowing and executive dysfunction were linked to lower perceived driving abilities and increased avoidance of driving situations.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive decline in older adults is associated with a modest decrease in perceived driving abilities.
• Aging-related cognitive changes, specifically slowing and executive dysfunction, correlate with increased avoidance of certain driving situations.
• These findings highlight the importance of monitoring cognitive health for maintaining safe driving behaviors in older adults.