title: The influence of cognitive impairment on driving performance in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the influence of impaired cognitive processing on measures of driving skills in persons with MS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight subjects with documented MS were divided into two groups-with [MS(+), n = 13] and without [MS(-), n = 15] cognitive impairment-based on neuropsychological performance. Healthy control (HC) subjects (n = 17) matched on age and driving experience were also studied. Driving-related skills were compared between the groups based on performance on two computerized driving tests: the Useful Field of Vision (UFOV) and the Neurocognitive Driving Test (NDT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MS(+) group performed significantly worse than both the MS(-) and HC groups in the latency to perform several driving-specific functions on the NDT, but no overall group differences were observed in actual errors on the NDT. On the UFOV, when compared to MS(-) and HC subjects, the MS(+) group demonstrated poorer performance on two of the three subtests. Additionally, a significantly higher percentage of MS(+) individuals were rated within the high risk (probability of crash involvement) category, relative to the MS(-) and HC groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cognitive impairment can negatively affect driving-related skills in persons with MS and should be considered in the determination of driving ability.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Laboratory, Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation, West Orange, NJ 07052, USA. mschultheis@kmrrec.org
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Schultheis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garay
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeLuca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014787:Vision Tests