Driver landmark and traffic sign identification in early Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To assess visual search and recognition of roadside targets and safety errors during a landmark and traffic sign identification task in drivers with Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
33 drivers with probable Alzheimer's disease of mild severity and 137 neurologically normal older adults underwent a battery of visual and cognitive tests and were asked to report detection of specific landmarks and traffic signs along a segment of an experimental drive.


RESULTS
The drivers with mild Alzheimer's disease identified significantly fewer landmarks and traffic signs and made more at-fault safety errors during the task than control subjects. Roadside target identification performance and safety errors were predicted by scores on standardised tests of visual and cognitive function.


CONCLUSIONS
Drivers with Alzheimer's disease are impaired in a task of visual search and recognition of roadside targets; the demands of these targets on visual perception, attention, executive functions, and memory probably increase the cognitive load, worsening driving safety.
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Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. ergun-uc@uiowa.edu
Rizzo
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Anderson
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Shi
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Dawson
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D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001334:Automobile Driving; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D013561:Symbolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology