RESUMO
Fatigue is a pervasive symptom experienced by many individuals after COVID-19. Despite its widespread occurrence, fatigue remains a poorly understood and complex phenomenon. Our aim is to evaluate the subjective experience of mental fatigue after COVID-19 and to assess its significance for daily life functioning. In this online questionnaire study (N = 220), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), World Health Organization Quality-of-Life assessment (WHOQoL) and a subjective severity rating of the COVID-19 disease progression were used. For our statistical analyses we utilized independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA with post-hoc analyses, and a multiple regression. As expected our findings revealed the COVID group reported significantly higher levels of subjective fatigue compared to the control group. Moreover, there was a significant difference between experienced fatigue across the four severity groups. Participants who had a milder course of disease also experienced severe subjective fatigue. Subjective fatigue explained 40% variance in quality-of-life. In conclusion, severe subjective fatigue appears to be associated with increased self-reported COVID-19 symptom severity and lower quality-of-life but is already observable in milder cases. This underscores, firstly, the importance of considering also less severe cases and, secondly, the need to develop rehabilitation and psychological interventions for fatigue.
RESUMO
The increasing number of bicycle crashes leading to injuries in the Netherlands is frequently related (e.g., in the media) to increased use of the electric bicycle. For this reason, policy makers face the challenge of selecting and implementing the most promising countermeasures including those focused on electric bicycles. It may be questioned, however, to what extent the electric bicycle itself is a (direct) cause of crashes leading to injuries or whether other factors are important for explaining the increased number of bicycle injury crashes. On the basis of an abbreviated list of criteria by Elvik (2011), this paper illustrates the potential influence of factor inclusions, analysis selections, and data presentations on the general impression about crash causation with the electric bicycle as an example. The aim is to provide a 'best practice guide' by taking into account (1) a theoretical explanation of causal mechanisms, (2) control for confounders, and (3) a statistical association of sufficient strength and consistency in the expected direction. We conclude that an apparent increased risk of electric bicycles may be explained by factors such as age, exposure, health factors, and gender of the cyclist. A relatively simple analysis, by comparing fatality numbers of conventional and electric bicycles, showed that including or excluding these factors may lead to vastly different interpretations of fatality causes and the relative risk of electric bicycles compared to conventional bicycles.
Assuntos
Acidentes de Trânsito , Ciclismo , Humanos , Ciclismo/lesões , Risco , Países Baixos/epidemiologiaRESUMO
PURPOSE: This study explores the effect of glaucomatous visual field defects on several neuropsychological tests that are often used in research and in clinical settings. METHODS: Nineteen glaucoma patients and nineteen healthy participants, which are current drivers and older than 65 years old were included. All participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), the Snellgrove Maze Task (SMT) and the Digit Span Test (DST). All participants were also tested on contrast sensitivity and near and far visual acuity. For the glaucoma patients, visual field tests were downloaded from hospital servers. RESULTS: On the MoCA test, glaucoma patients scored lower than the healthy group, but not significantly. On the MoCA-Blind, the difference was statistically significant. Glaucoma patients also had lower percentile scores on the TMT, with a significant difference in the TMT-A, but this difference largely disappeared in the calculated TMT B-A index, which isolates the cognitive component. The BVRT and SMT showed no significant differences between both groups. In the only non-visual test, the DST, glaucoma patients outperformed the healthy group. Glaucoma severity did not influence results, except for the BVRT on which the moderate/severe group has better scores. CONCLUSION: Using visual items might lead to conclusions about cognition when it should be one about vision. Therefore, careful selection of tests is needed when examining cognition in glaucoma patients.
Assuntos
Condução de Veículo/estatística & dados numéricos , Glaucoma/fisiopatologia , Transtornos da Visão/diagnóstico , Idoso , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Disfunção Cognitiva/diagnóstico , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Índice de Gravidade de DoençaRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Previous research reported cognitive and psychomotor impairments in long-term users of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZRAs). This article explores the role of acute intoxication and clinical complaints. METHODS: Neurocognitive and on-road driving performance of 19 long-term (≥6 months) regular (≥twice weekly) BZRA users with estimated plasma concentrations, based on self-reported use, exceeding the therapeutic threshold (CBZRA +), and 31 long-term regular BZRA users below (CBZRA -), was compared to that of 76 controls. RESULTS: BZRA users performed worse on tasks of response speed, processing speed, and sustained attention. Age, but not CBZRA or self-reported clinical complaints, was a significant covariate. Road-tracking performance was explained by CBZRA only. The CBZRA + group exhibited increased mean standard deviation of lateral position comparable to that at blood-alcohol concentrations of 0.5 g/L. CONCLUSIONS: Functional impairments in long-term BZRA users are not attributable to self-reported clinical complaints or estimated BZRA concentrations, except for road-tracking, which was impaired in CBZRA + users. Limitations to address are the lack of assessment of objective clinical complaints, acute task related stress, and actual BZRA plasma concentrations. In conclusion, the results confirm previous findings that demonstrate inferior performance across several psychomotor and neurocognitive domains in long-term BZRA users.
Assuntos
Condução de Veículo , Benzodiazepinas , Concentração Alcoólica no Sangue , Humanos , Individualidade , Desempenho Psicomotor , Tempo de Reação , Receptores de GABA-ARESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To assess driving performance and neurocognitive skills of long-term users of sedating antidepressants, in comparison to healthy controls. METHODS: Thirty-eight long-term (>6 months) users of amitriptyline (n = 13) and mirtazapine (n = 25) were compared to 65 healthy controls. Driving performance was assessed using a 1-h standardised highway driving test in actual traffic, with road-tracking error (standard deviation of lateral position [SDLP]) being the primary measure. Secondary measures included neurocognitive tasks related to driving. Performance differences between groups were compared to those of blood alcohol concentrations of 0.5 mg/ml to determine clinical relevance. RESULTS: Compared to controls, mean increase in SDLP of all antidepressant users was not significant, nor clinically relevant (+0.75 cm, 95% CI: -0.83 cm; +2.33 cm). However, users treated less than 3 years (n = 20) did show a significant and clinically relevant increase in SDLP (+2.05 cm). No significant effects were observed on neurocognitive tasks for any user group, although large individual differences were present. Most results from neurocognitive tests were inconclusive, while a few parameters confirmed non-inferiority for users treated longer than 3 years. CONCLUSION: The impairing effects of antidepressant treatment on driving performance and neurocognition mitigate over time following long-term use of 3 years.
Assuntos
Antidepressivos/efeitos adversos , Condução de Veículo , Hipnóticos e Sedativos/efeitos adversos , Desempenho Psicomotor/efeitos dos fármacos , Condução de Veículo/psicologia , Concentração Alcoólica no Sangue , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
To prevent single-bicycle crashes, this study is the first to evaluate effects of slanted kerbstones, edge lines, shoulder strips, and edge strips on cycling behaviour of cyclists ≥50 years. In Experiment 1, 32 participants cycled on a control path and paths with edge lines, slanted kerbstones, and three types of 0.5 m wide shoulder strips (with grey artificial grass, green artificial grass, or concrete street-print). In Experiment 2, 30 participants cycled a different route including a control path and paths with edge lines or 0.3 m white edge strips. Cyclists rode closer to the main cycle path's edge in the shoulder strips conditions, although the presence of these strips resulted in a larger total distance to the verge compared to the control condition. Furthermore, cyclists cycled further from the verge in the edge strip condition than the control condition. Safety implications of the shoulder and edge strips are considered to be positive. Practitioner Summary: Older cyclists have a high risk for single-bicycle crashes (e.g. riding into the verge). In two experiments, cyclists ≥50 years cycled a route where different treatments were applied on a cycle path. Shoulder and edge strip treatments were related to more efficient path use and safer distances from the verge. Abbreviations: AGS: artificial grass strip; CL: control location; CSS: concrete street-print strip; ELC: edge line continuous; ELI: edge line intermittent; LP: lateral position; SDLP: standard deviation of the lateral position; SK: slanted kerbstones; WCES: white chippings edge strip.
Assuntos
Prevenção de Acidentes/métodos , Ciclismo , Planejamento Ambiental , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare actual driving performance and skills related to driving of patients using benzodiazepine anxiolytics or hypnotics for at least 6 months to that of healthy controls. METHODS: Participants were 44 long-term users of benzodiazepine and benzodiazepine-related anxiolytics (n = 12) and hypnotics (n = 32) and 65 matched healthy controls. Performance was assessed using an on-the-road driving test measuring standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP, in cm) and a battery of neurocognitive tasks. Performance differences between groups were compared with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.5 mg/ml to determine clinical relevance. RESULTS: Compared with controls, SDLP was significantly increased in hypnotic users (+1.70 cm) but not in anxiolytic users (+1.48 cm). Anxiolytic and hypnotic users showed significant and clinically relevant impairment on neurocognitive task measuring executive functioning, vigilance, and reaction time. For patients using hypnotics for at least 3 years, no significant driving impairment was observed. CONCLUSION: Impairing effects of benzodiazepine hypnotics on driving performance may mitigate over time following longer term use (i.e. 3 years or more) although neurocognitive impairments may remain.
Assuntos
Condução de Veículo/psicologia , Benzodiazepinas/efeitos adversos , Cognição/efeitos dos fármacos , Usuários de Drogas/psicologia , Voluntários Saudáveis/psicologia , Ansiolíticos/efeitos adversos , Concentração Alcoólica no Sangue , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Humanos , Hipnóticos e Sedativos/efeitos adversos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Testes Psicológicos , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Pedestrians are commonly engaged in other activities while walking. The current study assesses (1) whether pedestrians are sufficiently aware of their surroundings to successfully negotiate obstacles in a city, and (2) whether various common walking practices affect awareness of obstacles and, or, avoidance behavior. To this end, an obstacle, i.e., a signboard was placed on a pavement in the city centre of Utrecht, the Netherlands. The behavioral measure consisted of the distance to the signboard before pedestrians moved to avoid it. After passing, participants were interviewed to obtain thought samples, self-reported route familiarity, a confirmation of secondary task engagement, and to assess awareness through recall and recognition of the signboard and its text. In this study 234 pedestrians participated. More than half of the participants (53.8%) was unaware of the signboard, still none of them had bumped into it. Mind wandering, being engaged in secondary tasks such as talking with a companion or using a mobile phone, and being familiar with a route, did not affect awareness nor avoidance behavior. In conclusion, despite being very common there was no evidence that walking without awareness necessarily results in risk. The absence of awareness does not imply any absence of cognitive and perceptual processing. Pedestrians are still capable of successfully avoiding obstacles in their path, even in visually more challenging environments such as a city centre. It is argued that this is because walking consists of highly automated, skilled behavior.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Neurodegenerative disorders impact fitness to drive of older drivers, but on-road driving studies investigating patients with different neurodegenerative disorders are scarce. A variety of driving errors have been reported in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), but it is unclear which types of driving errors occur most frequently. Moreover, patients with other neurodegenerative disorders than AD typically present with different symptoms and impairments, therefore different driving errors may be expected. METHODS: Patients with AD (nâ=â80), patients with other neurodegenerative disorders with cognitive decline (i.e., vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies/Parkinson's disease, nâ=â59), and healthy older drivers (nâ=â45) participated in a fitness-to-drive assessment study including on-road driving. RESULTS: Patients with AD performed significantly worse than healthy older drivers on operational, tactical, visual, and global aspects of on-road driving. In patients with AD, on-road measures were significantly associated with 'off-road' measures. Patients with neurodegenerative disorders other than AD showed large overlap in the types of driving errors. Several driving errors were identified that appear to be characteristic for patients with particular neurodegenerative disorders. CONCLUSION: Patients from each group of neurodegenerative disorders commonly display tactical driving errors regarding lane positioning, slow driving, observation of the blind spot, and scanning behavior. Several other tactical and operational driving errors, including not communicating with cyclists and unsteady steering, were more frequently observed in patients with non-AD neurodegenerative disorders. These findings have implications for on-road and 'off-road' fitness-to-drive assessments for patients with neurodegenerative disorders with cognitive decline.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/psicologia , Condução de Veículo/psicologia , Doenças Neurodegenerativas/psicologia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Exame para Habilitação de Motoristas/psicologia , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
Several innovative measures in traffic control applied in Europe have successfully improved the comfort and safety of cycling, among which is the green waves for cyclists. Consecutive traffic lights are synchronised to create a green wave, increasing comfort and decreasing waiting times and related deliberate red-light running. This study focused on exploring the user acceptance of green wave systems and the user evaluation of six distinct interface designs (i.e. numeric-based countdown, dot-based vertical countdown, dot-based clockwise countdown, LED line, LED road surface, on-bike speed indicator). Results indicate a preference for three systems: numeric-based countdown, LED line and LED road surface. Results also show a significant influence of nationality on the evaluation of the interfaces. Based on our findings, we argue that the numeric-based countdown represents the most promising option for future adaptive green wave implementations. The outcomes of the present study represent a useful evidence and guidance for researchers, designers and decision makers in the field of green waves, mobility and traffic safety.
Assuntos
Prevenção de Acidentes , Ciclismo , Ambiente Construído , Segurança , Prevenção de Acidentes/métodos , Acidentes de Trânsito/prevenção & controle , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Comportamento do Consumidor , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Percepção , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Patients with schizophrenia commonly suffer from impairments in various aspects of cognition. These deficits were shown to have detrimental effects on daily life functioning and might also impair car driving. This study is the first to examine driving behaviour of patients with schizophrenia using an advanced driving simulator, and to explore the role of cognitive abilities of people with schizophrenia for driving. METHODS: Non-acute patients with schizophrenia (nâ¯=â¯31) and healthy comparison participants (nâ¯=â¯31) performed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and driving simulator rides. Neuropsychological and driving performances were compared between groups. Moreover, associations were explored between cognitive functions and driving behaviour in the entire group. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia revealed impairments in multiple aspects of cognition. In the driving simulator, patients with schizophrenia showed no indication of deviant driving in terms of number of collisions or reacting to critical situations, and even showed better lane control compared to healthy individuals. However, patients with schizophrenia drove significantly slower than healthy individuals, and caused more hindrance to the car behind while merging on the motorway. Slower driving was associated with lower test scores on attention and processing speed. Hindering the car behind was associated with test performance on planning and inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that driving of patients with schizophrenia is characterized by a relatively slow speed, and can also be impaired in certain aspects, i.e. hindering a car behind while merging. Cognitive functions are crucial for driving, and should be target of treatment.
Assuntos
Condução de Veículo , Disfunção Cognitiva/fisiopatologia , Desempenho Psicomotor/fisiologia , Esquizofrenia/fisiopatologia , Adulto , Disfunção Cognitiva/etiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Esquizofrenia/complicações , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Purpose: This study aims to identify the most important factors that influence the independent bicycle use of visually impaired people in the Netherlands.Materials and methods: Both visually impaired people and professionals participated in a two-round online Delphi study (n = 42). In Round 1 the participants identified the factors which they ranked by relevance in Round 2.Results: The participants prioritised environmental factors related to the traffic situation, the characteristics of the infrastructure, and weather and light conditions (Kendall's W = 0.66). They indicated that the most influencing personal factors are related to personality, traffic experience, and personal background (W = 0.58). Glaucoma was ranked as the most relevant ophthalmic condition (W = 0.74), while glare was regarded as the most important factor with respect to the visual functions (W = 0.78).Conclusions: The factors provided by this study can be used to optimise the independent cycling mobility of visually impaired people. More research is needed to investigate, both, how and to what extent the mentioned factors influence the cycling behaviour.Implications for rehabilitationThe results of this study can be used to set priorities during the rehabilitation and training of visually impaired people who wish to cycle independently.Visually impaired cyclists may compensate for the consequences of their visual impairments by taking alternative routes that suit their individual abilities and limitations.Since gaining and maintaining self-confidence is important for independent cycling with a visual impairment, practitioners such as mobility trainers should not only focus on cycling-related skills and abilities, but also aim to improve the self-confidence of visually impaired people who wish to cycle.
Assuntos
Ciclismo , Meio Ambiente , Autoimagem , Transtornos da Visão/reabilitação , Pessoas com Deficiência Visual , Acidentes de Trânsito/prevenção & controle , Ciclismo/fisiologia , Ciclismo/psicologia , Ciclismo/normas , Técnica Delphi , Avaliação da Deficiência , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Países Baixos , Personalidade , Pessoas com Deficiência Visual/psicologia , Pessoas com Deficiência Visual/reabilitaçãoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Driving is related to social participation; therefore older drivers may be reluctant to cease driving. Continuation of driving has also been reported in a large proportion of patients with cognitive impairment. The aim of this study is to investigate whether patients with cognitive impairment adhere to driving cessation advice after a fitness-to-drive assessment and what the consequences are with regard to mobility. METHODS: Patients with cognitive impairment (n = 172) participated in a fitness-to-drive assessment study, including an on-road driving assessment. Afterwards, patients were advised to either continue driving, to follow driving lessons, or to cease driving. Approximately seven months thereafter, patients were asked in a follow-up interview about their adherence to the driving recommendation. Factors influencing driving cessation were identified using a binary logistic regression analysis. Use of alternative transportation was also evaluated. RESULTS: Respectively 92 and 79% of the patients adhered to the recommendation to continue or cease driving. Female gender, a higher Clinical Dementia Rating-score, perceived health decline, and driving cessation advice facilitated driving cessation. Patients who ceased driving made use of less alternative modes of transportation than patients who still drove. Nonetheless, around 40% of the patients who ceased driving increased their frequency of cycling and/or public transport use. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to the recommendations given after the fitness-to-drive assessments was high. Female patients were in general more likely to cease driving. However, a minority of patients did not adhere to driving cessation advice. These drivers with dementia should be made aware of the progression of their cognitive impairment and general health decline to facilitate driving cessation. There are large differences in mobility between patients with cognitive impairment. Physicians should discuss options for alternative transportation in order to promote sustained safe mobility of patients with cognitive impairment.
Assuntos
Acidentes de Trânsito/prevenção & controle , Acidentes de Trânsito/psicologia , Condução de Veículo/psicologia , Disfunção Cognitiva/psicologia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Disfunção Cognitiva/terapia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Meios de Transporte/métodosRESUMO
Dementia is a risk factor for unsafe driving. Therefore, an assessment strategy has recently been developed for the prediction of fitness to drive in patients with the Alzheimer disease (AD). The aim of this study was to investigate whether this strategy is also predictive of fitness to drive in patients with non-AD dementia, that is, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. Predictors were derived from 3 types of assessment: clinical interviews, neuropsychological tests, and driving simulator rides. The criterion was the pass-fail outcome of an official on-road driving assessment. About half of the patients with non-AD dementia (n=34) failed the on-road driving assessment. Neuropsychological assessment [area under the curve (AUC)=0.786] was significantly predictive of fitness to drive in patients with non-AD dementia, however, clinical interviews (AUC=0.559) and driving simulator rides (AUC=0.404) were not. The fitness-to-drive assessment strategy with the 3 types of assessment combined (AUC=0.635) was not found to significantly predict fitness to drive in non-AD dementia. Different types of dementia require different measures and assessment strategies.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer/classificação , Exame para Habilitação de Motoristas , Condução de Veículo/psicologia , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Testes Neuropsicológicos/estatística & dados numéricos , Tempo de ReaçãoRESUMO
Cycling with a classic paper map was compared with navigating with a moving map displayed on a smartphone, and with auditory, and visual turn-by-turn route guidance. Spatial skills were found to be related to navigation performance, however only when navigating from a paper or electronic map, not with turn-by-turn (instruction based) navigation. While navigating, 25% of the time cyclists fixated at the devices that present visual information. Navigating from a paper map required most mental effort and both young and older cyclists preferred electronic over paper map navigation. In particular a turn-by-turn dedicated guidance device was favoured. Visual maps are in particular useful for cyclists with higher spatial skills. Turn-by-turn information is used by all cyclists, and it is useful to make these directions available in all devices. Practitioner Summary: Electronic navigation devices are preferred over a paper map. People with lower spatial skills benefit most from turn-by-turn guidance information, presented either auditory or on a dedicated device. People with higher spatial skills perform well with all devices. It is advised to keep in mind that all users benefit from turn-by-turn information when developing a navigation device for cyclists.
Assuntos
Ciclismo/psicologia , Mapas como Assunto , Navegação Espacial , Interface Usuário-Computador , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) suffer from various impairments of cognitive, emotional and social functioning, which can have considerable consequences for many areas of daily living. One of those areas is driving a vehicle. Driving is an important activity of everyday life and requires an efficient interplay between multiple cognitive, perceptual, and motor skills. In the present study, a selective review of the literature on driving-related difficulties associated with ADHD is performed, seeking to answer whether individuals with ADHD show increased levels of unsafe driving behaviours, which cognitive (dys)functions of individuals with ADHD are related to driving difficulty, and whether pharmacological treatment significantly improves the driving behaviour of individuals with ADHD. The available research provides convincing evidence that individuals with ADHD have different and more adverse driving outcomes than individuals without the condition. However, it appears that not all individuals with ADHD are affected uniformly. Despite various cognitive functions being related with driving difficulties, these functions do not appear helpful in detecting high risk drivers with ADHD, nor in predicting driving outcomes in individuals with ADHD, since impairments in these functions are defining criteria for the diagnoses of ADHD (e.g., inattention and impulsivity). Pharmacological treatment of ADHD, in particular stimulant drug treatment, appears to be beneficial to the driving difficulties experienced by individuals with ADHD. However, additional research is needed, in particular further studies that address the numerous methodological weaknesses of many of the previous studies.
Assuntos
Transtorno do Deficit de Atenção com Hiperatividade , Condução de Veículo , Transtorno do Deficit de Atenção com Hiperatividade/tratamento farmacológico , Transtorno do Deficit de Atenção com Hiperatividade/psicologia , HumanosRESUMO
As a cyclist, it is essential to make inferences about the intentions of other road users in order to anticipate their behaviour. There are official ways for cyclists to communicate their intentions to other road users, such as using their arms to point in the intended direction of travel. However, in everyday traffic cyclists often do not use such active forms of communication. Therefore, other visual cues have to be used to anticipate (critical) encounters or events. During this study, 108 participants completed a video internet survey in which they predicted the intentions of a lead cyclist based on visible behaviour preceding a turning manoeuvre. When the lead cyclist approached the intersection, each video was stopped just before the cyclist initiated turning. Based on visual cues, the participants had to select which direction they thought the cyclist would go. After entering their prediction, they were asked how certain they were about their prediction and on which visible behaviour(s) each prediction was based. The results show that it is very hard to predict the direction of a turning cyclist based on visual cues before the turning manoeuvre is initiated. Exploratory regression analyses revealed that observable behaviours such as head movements and cycling speed were related to prediction accuracy. These results may be used to support cyclists in traffic interactions.
Assuntos
Acidentes de Trânsito/prevenção & controle , Ciclismo/psicologia , Intenção , Adulto , Sinais (Psicologia) , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: There is no consensus yet on how to determine which patients with cognitive impairment are able to drive a car safely and which are not. Recently, a strategy was composed for the assessment of fitness to drive, consisting of clinical interviews, a neuropsychological assessment, and driving simulator rides, which was compared with the outcome of an expert evaluation of an on-road driving assessment. A selection of tests and parameters of the new approach revealed a predictive accuracy of 97.4% for the prediction of practical fitness to drive on an initial sample of patients with Alzheimer's dementia. The aim of the present study was to explore whether the selected variables would be equally predictive (i.e., valid) for a closely related group of patients; that is, patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: Eighteen patients with mild cognitive impairment completed the proposed approach to the measurement of fitness to drive, including clinical interviews, a neuropsychological assessment, and driving simulator rides. The criterion fitness to drive was again assessed by means of an on-road driving evaluation. The predictive validity of the fitness to drive assessment strategy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. RESULTS: Twelve patients with MCI (66.7%) passed and 6 patients (33.3%) failed the on-road driving assessment. The previously proposed approach to the measurement of fitness to drive achieved an overall predictive accuracy of 94.4% in these patients. The application of an optimal cutoff resulted in a diagnostic accuracy of 100% sensitivity toward unfit to drive and 83.3% specificity toward fit to drive. Further analyses revealed that the neuropsychological assessment and the driving simulator rides produced rather stable prediction rates, whereas clinical interviews were not significantly predictive for practical fitness to drive in the MCI patient sample. CONCLUSIONS: The selected measures of the previously proposed approach revealed adequate accuracy in identifying fitness to drive in patients with MCI. Furthermore, a combination of neuropsychological test performance and simulated driving behavior proved to be the most valid predictor of practical fitness to drive.
Assuntos
Exame para Habilitação de Motoristas , Condução de Veículo/psicologia , Disfunção Cognitiva/fisiopatologia , Acidentes de Trânsito/prevenção & controle , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Entrevistas como Assunto , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Curva ROC , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
The number of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing and so is the number of patients driving a car. To enable patients to retain their mobility while at the same time not endangering public safety, each patient should be assessed for fitness to drive. The aim of this study is to develop a method to assess fitness to drive in a clinical setting, using three types of assessments, i.e. clinical interviews, neuropsychological assessment and driving simulator rides. The goals are (1) to determine for each type of assessment which combination of measures is most predictive for on-road driving performance, (2) to compare the predictive value of clinical interviews, neuropsychological assessment and driving simulator evaluation and (3) to determine which combination of these assessments provides the best prediction of fitness to drive. Eighty-one patients with AD and 45 healthy individuals participated. All participated in a clinical interview, and were administered a neuropsychological test battery and a driving simulator ride (predictors). The criterion fitness to drive was determined in an on-road driving assessment by experts of the CBR Dutch driving test organisation according to their official protocol. The validity of the predictors to determine fitness to drive was explored by means of logistic regression analyses, discriminant function analyses, as well as receiver operating curve analyses. We found that all three types of assessments are predictive of on-road driving performance. Neuropsychological assessment had the highest classification accuracy followed by driving simulator rides and clinical interviews. However, combining all three types of assessments yielded the best prediction for fitness to drive in patients with AD with an overall accuracy of 92.7%, which makes this method highly valid for assessing fitness to drive in AD. This method may be used to advise patients with AD and their family members about fitness to drive.
Assuntos
Doença de Alzheimer , Exame para Habilitação de Motoristas , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Doença de Alzheimer/psicologia , Condução de Veículo , Feminino , Avaliação Geriátrica/métodos , Humanos , Entrevista Psicológica , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Modelos Biológicos , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Tempo de ReaçãoRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Older drivers with dementia are an at-risk group for unsafe driving. However, dementia refers to various etiologies and the question is whether dementias of different etiology have similar effects on driving ability. METHODS: The literature on the effects of dementia of various etiologies on driving ability is reviewed. Studies addressing dementia etiologies and driving were identified through PubMed, PsychINFO, and Google Scholar. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Early symptoms and prognoses differ between dementias of different etiology. Therefore, different etiologies may represent different likelihoods with regard to fitness to drive. Moreover, dementia etiologies could indicate the type of driving problems that can be expected to occur. However, there is a great lack of data and knowledge about the effects of almost all etiologies of dementia on driving. One could hypothesize that patients with Alzheimer's disease may well suffer from strategic difficulties such as finding a route, whereas patients with frontotemporal dementia are more inclined to make tactical-level errors because of impaired hazard perception. Patients with other dementia etiologies involving motor symptoms may suffer from problems on the operational level. Still, the effects of various etiologies of dementias on driving have thus far not been studied thoroughly. For the detection of driving difficulties in patients with dementia, structured interviews with patients but also their family members appear crucial. Neuropsychological assessment could support the identification of cognitive impairments. The impact of such impairments on driving could also be investigated in a driving simulator. In a driving simulator, strengths and weaknesses in driving behavior can be observed. With this knowledge, patients can be advised appropriately about their fitness to drive and options for support in driving (e.g., compensation techniques, car adaptations). However, as long as no valid, reliable, and widely accepted test battery is available for the assessment of fitness to drive, costly on-road test rides are inevitable. The development of a fitness-to-drive test battery for patients with dementia could provide an alternative for these on-road test rides, on condition that differences between dementia etiologies are taken into consideration.