Those of us who drive daily do not realize the complexity of this act. This is because, Over time, we drive automatically But driving requires a number of cognitive skills including executive functions, information processing, visual processing and memory.
We have to be aware of many stimuli at the same time, have our foot on the clutch and brake, change gears, observe the cars that pass us, etc. If it weren’t for the cerebellum, we would drive like rookies all our lives.
Driving is positive for the cognitive health of older people
But of course, All of these cognitive functions deteriorate over time, making driving difficult and dangerous. However, a recent study suggests that the cognitive demands of driving may help prevent cognitive decline caused by aging. In other words, driving could play a beneficial role in the cognitive health of older people.
There has always been talk about how important it is for older people to stay active, but it has never been said that driving also provides these benefits. It is clear that people who are unable to drive safely should give up picking up the keys and starting the vehicle, but several previous studies have already shown that giving up driving is associated with a decrease in emotional and physical health for older people. . Now also to cognitive deterioration.
The recent study was carried out by three behavioral scientists, Moon Choi (University of Kentucky), Matthew C. Lohman (University of Kentucky), and Brian Mezuk (Virginia Commonwealth University) and their results showed that driving a vehicle helps maintain cognitive functions.
“Previous research has indicated that there is a negative association between poor cognitive functioning and stopping driving,” explain Choi and his colleagues. “However, our results suggest that it may also be that driving cessation is a risk factor that accelerates cognitive decline over time. This suggests that the relationship between driving cessation and cognitive functioning may be bidirectional.”
Choi and his collaborators analyzed data from more than 9,000 older individuals over 10 years: from 1998 to 2008 Subjects completed a cognitive test over the telephone that assessed memory, mental processing speed, level of knowledge, and language. Subjects were also asked what their current driving status was, that is, whether they were driving or not, or whether they had never driven.
The researchers found that those participants who had stopped driving showed accelerated cognitive decline during the 10 years after they stopped driving, compared to active drivers.
Older people who do not drive are a group at greater risk of cognitive decline
“This study suggests that older people who do not have mobility through driving a vehicle are a group at greater risk of suffering cognitive decline. Therefore, they would benefit from social interventions that promote social, psychological and cognitive engagement,” the researchers argue.
Regarding this type of intervention, a team of scientists led by psychologist Jerri Edwards (University of South Florida) designed a program focused on cognitive training for elderly people who were at risk of suffering automobile accidents and a decrease in cognitive.
Edwards and his colleagues recruited about 500 older adults (60 years and older) to participate in the trial. All participants completed a visual processing speed task in which poor performance on this task indicated a higher risk of automobile accidents. The 134 participants who received low scores on this test were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a cognitive training intervention or a control group in which they received computer training.
Participants in both interventions met with a coach in small groups for 10 one-hour sessions Those in the cognitive training group completed computer-based exercises designed to improve the speed of processing information, such as visual (cars and trucks) and auditory object identification and localization (tone arrays). Participants in the computer training group completed training exercises in basic computer use, such as using email.
The 366 participants who showed no signs of cognitive slowing in the visual processing speed task served as the reference group.
The follow-up phase
Three years later a follow-up was carried out, and The researchers found that older drivers who had received cognitive training were driving at a lower risk rate On the other hand, participants who were assigned to the computer training group (or control group) experienced a decrease in driving, as well as greater difficulty in carrying it out, as they stated in the subsequent evaluation.
Training in the speed of cognitive processing can not only improve cognitive performance, but can protect against decreased mobility in older people,” Edwards and his collaborators write in their article. Cognitive training programs, according to science, have the potential to improve the daily lives of older people in many ways,” the authors add.
Even so, both groups of researchers are cautious with their results and They admit that there are limitations Beyond cognitive or health problems, older people also frequently report financial difficulties as one of the reasons they stop driving.
Those living in more densely populated areas may have greater access to alternative means of transportation, and therefore may have different cognitive outcomes than older people living in more isolated or rural areas.
