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Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2026
July 12-15, 2026 | London, United Kingdom, and Online
8952
Driving Speed Across Multiple Roadway Types Among Older Adult Drivers With And Without Elevated Amyloid Burden
Part of Topic
Driving speed across multiple roadway types among older adult drivers with and without elevated amyloid burden
Anu M. Kumar1, Yi Lu Murphey2, Amanda Cook Maher1,3, Carol C Persad1,3, Robert A. Koeppe1,3, and Bruno Giordani1,3
1University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
2University of Michigan - Dearborn, Dearborn, MI, USA
3University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Background:
•Subtle alterations in performance on complex, cognitively demanding activities such as driving can emerge early in cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Variations in driving speed may be an early indicator of these changes [1].
•Elevated brain amyloid burden (Aβ) is a biomarker of AD that is detectable years before the onset of clinical symptoms, even among cognitively normal older adults.
•This study examines driving speed on various roadway types among consensus-diagnosed cognitively normal older adults with and without elevated Aβ burden during a fixed course drive.
Dataset:
•We analyzed data from 54 older volunteers, aged 65+, who were determined to be cognitively normal via Michigan ADRC consensus conference.
•All participants completed the following:
1.Amyloid PET scan
2.Fixed course drive (all participants followed the same route)
3.Additional neuropsychological testing
•Amyloid positivity was determined via PiB PET scan [2]:
oAmyloid positive (Aβ+) (n=26): centiloid value ≥20
oAmyloid negative (Aβ-) (n=28): centiloid value ≤10
•Global positioning system (GPS) and driving speed data were recorded during the fixed course driving trip using a DL1 CLUB Data Logger, in participants’ own vehicles.
Method:
•Using the longitude and latitude coordinates, the fixed course route was segmented by road name and categorized according to:
a)Curvature classification: determined through visual inspection of each road on a map
b)Posted speed limit: low ≤25 mph; moderate 26-55 mph; high >55 mph
c)Traffic load: derived from Michigan Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) data (low <5,000; medium 5,000-10,000; high ≥10,000)
Results:
•Independent-samples t-tests evaluated group differences in driving speed for each of the 12 road segments between Aβ+ and Aβ- drivers.
•Aβ+ drivers showed a consistent pattern of driving at slower speeds than Aβ- peers across the fixed course route (p’s<0.05).
•Aβ+ drivers drove significantly slower than Aβ- on roadway sections with lower or moderate speed limits, non-freeway environments, and road geometry requiring greater continuous speed regulation (e.g., curved segments, variable traffic; all p’s<0.05).
•No significant group differences were observed on freeway segments or high-speed, less demanding road types.
Conclusion:
•During turning events, cognitively normal Aβ+ drivers show distinct eye movement patterns compared with Aβ- peers
•Findings suggest Aβ+ drivers spend longer times fixating on points of interest (perhaps needing more time to process visual information) and make shorter saccades, potentially indicating narrower, less exploratory eye movements, aligning with early AD oculomotor research.
•Further research will explore eye movements in larger samples during additional driving maneuvers using machine learning to gain deeper insights into oculomotor gaze behavior changes across broader driving demands in Aβ+ seniors.
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