One of the thorniest decisions facing older adults is when to give up their keys and stop driving. A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis could provide guidance in helping seniors plan ahead. The researchers found that impaired cognitive function foreshadows the decision for many seniors to stop driving — more so than age or molecular signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Even very slight cognitive changes are a sign that retirement from driving is imminent. Further, women are more likely to stop driving than men, the study showed.
The findings suggest that routine cognitive testing — in particular, the kind of screening designed to pick up the earliest, most subtle decline — could help older adults and their physicians make decisions about driving to maximize safety while preserving independence as long as possible.
“Many older drivers are aware of changes occurring as they age, including subjective cognitive decline,” said corresponding author Ganesh M. Babulal, PhD, OTD, an associate professor of neurology. “Doctors should discuss such changes with their older patients. If risk is identified early, there is more time to support the remaining capacity and skills, extending the time they can drive safely, and to plan for a transition to alternative transportation options to maintain their independence when the time comes to stop driving.”
The study is published May 22 online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.