Digital driving data can track driving exposure and quality of life in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: Parkinson's disease (PD) impairs motor and non-motor functions. Driver strategies to compensate for impairments, like avoiding driving in risky environments, may reduce on-road risk at the cost of decreasing driver mobility, independence, and quality of life (QoL). It is unclear how PD symptoms link to driving risk exposure, strategies, and QoL. We assessed associations between PD symptoms and driving exposure (1) overall, (2) in risky driving environments, and (3) in relationship to QoL. METHODS: Twenty-eight drivers with idiopathic PD were assessed using the Movement Disorders Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and RAND 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Real-world driving was monitored for 1 month. Overall driving exposure (miles driven) and risky driving exposure (miles driven in higher risk driving environments) were assessed across PD symptom severity. High traffic, night, and interstate roads were considered risky environments. RESULTS: 18,642 miles (30,001 km) driven were collected. Drivers with PD with worse motor symptoms (MDS-UPDRS Part III) drove more overall (b = 0.17, P < .001) but less in risky environments (night: b = -0.35, P < .001; interstate roads: b = -0.23, P < .001; high traffic: b = -0.14, P < .001). Worse non-motor daily activities symptoms (MDS-UPDRS Part I) did not affect overall driving exposure (b = -0.05, P = .43) but did affect risky driving exposure. Worse non-motor daily activities increased risk exposure to interstate (b = 0.36, P < .001) and high traffic (b = 0.09, P = .03) roads while reducing nighttime risk exposure (b = -0.15, P = .01). Daily activity impacts from motor symptoms (MDS-UPDRS Part II) did not affect distance driven. Reduced driving exposure (number of drives per day) was associated with worse physical health-related QoL (b = 2.87, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Results provide pilot data revealing specific PD symptom impacts on driving risk exposure and QoL. Drivers with worse non-motor impairments may have greater risk exposure. In contrast, drivers with worse motor impairments may have reduced driver risk exposure. Reduced driving exposure may worsen physical health-related QoL. Results show promise for using driving to inform clinical care.

Real-World Driving Data Indexes Dopaminergic Treatment Effects in Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Driving is a complex, everyday task that impacts patient agency, safety, mobility, social connections, and quality of life. Digital tools can provide comprehensive real-world (RW) data on driver behavior in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), providing critical data on disease status and treatment efficacy in the patient's own environment. Objective: This pilot study examined the use of driving data as a RW digital biomarker of PD symptom severity and dopaminergic therapy effectiveness. Methods: Naturalistic driving data (3974 drives) were collected for 1 month from 30 idiopathic PD drivers treated with dopaminergic medications. Prescriptions data were used to calculate levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD). The association between LEDD and driver mobility (number of drives) was assessed across PD severity, measured by the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS). Results: PD drivers with worse motor symptoms based on self-report (Part II: P = 0.02) and clinical examination (Part III: P < 0.001) showed greater decrements in driver mobility. LEDD levels >400 mg/day were associated with higher driver mobility than those with worse PD symptoms (Part I: P = 0.02, Part II: P < 0.001, Part III: P < 0.001). Conclusions: Results suggest that comprehensive RW driving data on PD patients may index disease status and treatment effectiveness to improve patient symptoms, safety, mobility, and independence. Higher dopaminergic treatment may enhance safe driver mobility in PD patients with worse symptom severity.