Study Shows Driving Skills Diminish with Early Alzheimer’s

People with early Alzheimer’s disease are more likely to be involved in a traffic accident and perform worse in road tests than drivers without cognitive impairment, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the journal Neurology, confirm reports of potentially hazardous driving by people with early Alzheimer's disease. However, the study also shows that some people with mild dementia are able to continue driving safely for extended periods of time.

The study included 84 people with early Alzheimer's and a control group of 44 age-matched people without cognitive impairment. Participants' driving abilities were assessed through self-reports, family reports and a standardized road test over two to three years.

People with Alzheimer's disease crashed more frequently and performed worse on road tests than those in the control group. People with mild dementia were also much more likely to fail a road test than those with very mild dementia.

The American Academy of Neurology recommends that people with very mild dementia who continue to drive should be reassessed every six months.