Executive Dysfunctions Predict Self-Restricted Driving Habits in Elderly People with or without Alzheimer’s Dementia

Abstract

Introduction The purpose of this study was to elucidate the impact of specific cognitive functions on self-restricted driving habits in healthy elderly drivers and patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s dementia (AD).

Method Our study population included 35 cognitively healthy controls, 10 MCI patients, and 16 patients with AD. All participants completed a neuropsychological examination and a self-reported questionnaire assessing driving habits and patterns.

Results In challenging driving conditions, patients with MCI or AD showed significantly more driving self-restriction than healthy subjects (effect size d=1.06, p=0.007). Ordinal regression analysis across the entire group revealed that deficits in executive functions and reaction had a higher impact on driving restriction (p=0.002) than deficits in memory functions (p=0.570). Additionally, our data showed that 40% of patients with mild to moderate AD still drive in challenging conditions.

Discussion Our results illustrate that elderly individuals use self-imposed driving restrictions as compensatory strategies. These restrictions increase with cognitive decline mainly in the field of executive functions, but they do not change once patients convert from MCI to AD.

Key words

driving - mild cognitive impairment - Alzheimer’s disease

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