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As the population ages – especially in places like Florida, home to millions of older drivers – there is a growing opportunity to identify early signs of cognitive decline before safety becomes a concern. Driving is a complex, real-world activity that depends on memory, attention and decision-making, yet most research has relied on simulations or self-reports rather than actual behavior. Scientists are increasingly asking whether subtle changes in how people drive could reveal the earliest stages of pre-mild cognitive impairment and mild cognitive impairment, when intervention may be most effective.

In an ongoing study, FAU researchers analyzed nearly 4,800 real-world trips from 36 older drivers using sensors installed in their vehicles, alongside detailed cognitive testing. The results, published in the journal Sensors, found clear differences in driving patterns: those with early cognitive impairment showed less consistent pedal control, shorter trips and less efficient speed regulation, while cognitively unimpaired drivers demonstrated steadier control, higher average speeds and more responsive braking. Importantly, it was the combination of these behaviors – not any single action – that most effectively distinguished the groups, highlighting the potential for everyday driving data to serve as an early warning sign of cognitive decline.

“What makes these findings especially compelling is how clearly the combined driving patterns separated the two groups,” said Ruth Tappen, Ed.D., senior author, professor and eminent scholar in FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and a member of the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute. “When all the behaviors were analyzed together, the model was highly accurate at distinguishing cognitively unimpaired drivers from those with early impairment. Everyday driving habits – captured passively through in-car sensors – may offer a powerful new way to detect subtle cognitive changes long before they become obvious.”

Read the press release.