GPS-based driving metric tracks subtle cognitive decline years before symptoms appear
A retiree’s choice to avoid a tricky left turn or a winding shortcut might be one of the earliest clues that Alzheimer’s is starting to affect their brain.
According to CTV News, researchers at the University of Calgary and Washington University have built a “route complexity metric” that uses everyday driving data to spot subtle navigational changes in older adults long before they would fail a traditional memory test.
According to the University of Calgary, the study suggests:
- Older adults with preclinical Alzheimer’s (biomarker‑positive but symptom‑free) initially chose more complex routes than their peers.
- As they aged, these drivers shifted toward simpler, more direct routes.
- Cognitively healthy adults did not show the same trend.
Lead author Kelly Long says this pattern “suggests that even before memory decline sets in, early Alzheimer’s may influence how people plan or execute everyday navigation.”
How they measured it
According to the study:
- The team tracked one year of real‑world driving in 111 adults aged 65–85 using passive GPS devices installed in their cars.
- Some participants had biomarker‑confirmed preclinical Alzheimer’s; others did not.
- Researchers built a “route complexity metric” based on two things:
- How direct or indirect a route is.
- How many left and right turns it includes, with left turns treated as more demanding in right‑hand traffic.
They then averaged the complexity of all trips for each person and compared patterns by age and biomarker status.
Sayeh Bayat, who directs the Healthy City Lab, said “something as familiar as how a person drives or the routes they choose can reflect changes in cognitive function,” and that their “route‑complexity metric lets us measure those changes without asking people to do anything extra.”
This work does not diagnose Alzheimer’s on its own, and the researchers are clear that it should complement, not replace, clinical tools.
But as per the University of Calgary, they see this kind of digital biomarker as a way to:
- Flag cognitive change earlier than current practice.
- Support “more informed clinical decisions” and “earlier and more personalized interventions.”
- Track changes over time, not just at annual check‑ups.
The Healthy City Lab and partners across Canada and Australia have secured a $1m CCNA Phase III Team Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to expand this driving‑and‑dementia research.
The University of Calgary said the goal is a “fair, accessible, and data-driven framework for driving assessment” that supports individuals, families and clinicians in making confident decisions.
