The Influence of Personality Traits on Driving Behaviors in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease.

Introduction: Alzheimer disease (AD) has a long preclinical phase in which AD pathology is accumulating without detectable clinical symptoms. It is critical to identify participants in this preclinical phase as early as possible since treatment plans may be more effective in this stage. Monitoring for changes in driving behavior, as measured with GPS sensors, has been explored as a low-burden, easy-to-administer method for detecting AD risk. However, driving is a complex, multifaceted process that is likely influenced by other factors, including personality traits, that may change in preclinical AD.

Methods: We examine the moderating influence of neuroticism and conscientiousness on longitudinal changes in driving behavior in a sample of 203 clinically normal older adults who are at varying risk of developing AD.

Results: Neuroticism moderated rates of change in the frequency of speeding as well as the number of trips taken at night. Conscientiousness moderated rates of change in typical driving space.

Conclusions: Personality traits change in early AD and also influence driving behaviors. Studies that seek to utilize naturalistic driving behavior to establish AD risk need to accommodate interpersonal differences, of which personality traits are one of many possible factors. Future studies should explicitly establish how much benefit is provided by including personality traits in predictive models of AD progression.