Is cognitive performance associated with older adults' driving behaviours and attitudes over time?

Abstract

We hypothesized that changes over time in cognitive performance are associated with changes in driver perceptions, attitudes and self-regulatory behaviors among older adults. Healthy older adults (n=928) underwent cognitive assessments at baseline with two subsequent annual follow-ups, and completed scales regarding their perceptions, attitudes and driving behaviours. Multivariate analysis showed small but statistically significant relationships between the cognitive tests and self-report measures, with the largest magnitudes between scores on the Trails B (seconds), perceptions of driving abilities (β=-0.32) and , situational driving avoidance (β=0.55), and (p<0.05). Cognitive slowing and executive dysfunction appear to be associated with modestly lower perceived driving abilities and more avoidance of driving situations over time in this exploratory analysis.