Self-Regulation of Driving Behaviors in Persons With Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease

The purpose of the current study was to determine if persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD reported awareness of driving ability and made self-regulatory changes to the same degree as older adults without AD. Driving awareness and behaviors were collected using a self-report survey. Results of the AD/MCI group were compared to a similarly aged control group. Results showed that persons with AD/MCI reported less confidence in their driving ability and worried about getting lost more often than the control group. In addition, they were more likely to have stopped driving. The AD/MCI group reported that they avoided driving in unfamiliar situations, drove less often, and drove with another person significantly more than the control group. The results give evidence that persons within the early stage of AD may have self-awareness of their driving ability and self-regulate their driving to enhance safety.

Automated summary

The study compared driving awareness and behaviors between individuals with AD/MCI and a control group of similar age, showing significant differences in self-confidence, concerns about getting lost, and driving behaviors. This indicates that individuals with early stage AD may have self-awareness of their driving ability and self-regulate their driving to enhance safety.