One of the biggest challenges of traveling is being away from familiar routines and surroundings, which can be stressful, says Dr. Kenneth Consija, a geriatrics specialist at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
For people with MCI, changes occurring in the brain can make it difficult to navigate complex environments and make timely decisions.
cognitive load
The mental effort and memory resources required to navigate busy highways, airports, and hotels place a significant cognitive load on travelers. Getting from “here to there” requires continually processing new information, including interpreting signs, following schedules, and adjusting when plans change.
“Travel can tax several areas of thinking simultaneously, including attention, working memory, and executive functions that require cognitive flexibility,” says Nimit Agarwal, M.D., medical director of geriatric medicine at Banner University Medical Center Phoenix and clinical associate professor at the University of Arizona.
For example, it can be difficult to concentrate in a busy environment because it’s difficult to maintain attention, says Dr. Agarwal. “At an airport, train station, or crowded rest area, MCI personnel can become overwhelmed with multiple announcements, people, and visual distractions. This can cause confusion and an inability to follow instructions.”
Short-term memory loss can make you forget where you’re going, what you’re doing, or how to get back to familiar people or places. For example, after walking to the bathroom, you may not remember how to get back to where you started, leading you to wander or panic in unfamiliar surroundings.
Agarwal says that if your brain is already working overtime in an unfamiliar environment, any changes to your plans (such as changing gates or delays) can make problem solving more difficult.
When these factors add up, they can create cognitive overload. “When a person’s cognitive load exceeds their capacity, they may feel disoriented, anxious, or want to withdraw from an activity,” he says.
sensory overload
Crowded and noisy environments can further increase stress. A subway station, sports arena, or crowded city street can feel overwhelming. Khan says interacting with strangers in noisy environments can increase anxiety.
Overstimulation can cause excitement. You may find yourself becoming more irritable in these situations. Too much stimulation from the world around you can be frightening, especially when it’s out of your control.
Sensory impairments, such as loss of hearing or vision, can make orienting in unfamiliar spaces even more difficult.
Loss of environmental signals
At home, many tasks are done almost automatically. You know where the bathroom is, where the keys are kept, and how the kitchen is laid out. Travel removes those familiar anchors.
“When we lose familiar environmental cues, such as a predictable environment or recognizable landmarks, the brain has to work extremely hard to maintain orientation,” Agarwal says.
Crossing time zones can add even more challenges. People with cognitive impairments may already have some disruption to their sleep-wake cycles, and changing their schedules can worsen confusion, agitation, and sundowning behavior, she says.
