On-road driving test performance in veterans: Effects of age, clinical diagnosis and cognitive measures
| Autor: | Adriana Hughes, Stefanie McKnight, John Ferguson, John P K Bernstein, Julie Mehr, Tonya L. Rich |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Gerontology
Male Automobile Driving Driving test Population Poison control Disease Neuropsychological Tests Executive Function Cognition 0502 economics and business Medicine Humans 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences Attention Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance Safety Risk Reliability and Quality education Medical History Taking Veterans Affairs health care economics and organizations 050107 human factors Aged Veterans Aged 80 and over 050210 logistics & transportation education.field_of_study business.industry 05 social sciences Age Factors Neurodegenerative Diseases Middle Aged humanities Cognitive test Automobile Driver Examination Female business |
| Zdroj: | Journal of safety research. 77 |
| ISSN: | 1879-1247 |
| Popis: | Introduction: Veterans are at heightened risk of being in a motor-vehicle crash and many fail on-road driving evaluations, particularly as they age. This may be due in part to the high prevalence of age-associated conditions impacting cognition in this population, including neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease) and acquired neurological conditions (e.g., cerebrovascular accident). However, understanding of the impact of referral diagnosis, age and cognition on Veterans’ on-road driving performance is limited. Methods: 109 Veterans were referred for a driving evaluation (mean age = 72.0, SD = 11.5) at a driving assessment clinic at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Of the 109 Veterans enrolled, 44 were referred due to a neurodegenerative disease, 37 due to an acquired neurological condition, and 28 due to a non-neurological condition (e.g., vision loss). Veterans completed collection of health history information and administration of cognitive tests assessing visual attention, processing speed, and executive functioning, as well as a standardized, on-road driving evaluation. Results: A total of 17.9% of Veterans failed the on-road evaluation. Clinical diagnostic group was not associated with failure rate. Age was not associated with failure rates in the full sample or within diagnostic groups. After controlling for age, poorer processing speed and selective/divided attention were associated with higher failure rates in the full sample. No cognitive tests were associated with failure rates within diagnostic groups. Conclusion: Referral diagnosis and age alone are not reliable predictors of Veterans’ driving performance. Cognitive performance, specifically speed of processing and attention, may be helpful in screening Veterans’ driving safety. Practical Applications: Clinicians tasked with assessing Veterans’ driving safety should take into account cognitive performance, particularly processing speed and attention, when making decisions regarding driving safety. Age and referral diagnosis, while helpful information, are insufficient to predict outcomes on driving evaluations. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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