title: Investigating driving behaviour of older drivers with mild cognitive impairment using a portable driving simulator.
abstract: While there is a large body of research indicating that individuals with moderate to severe dementia are unfit to drive, relatively little is known about the driving performance of older drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim of the current study was to examine the driving performance of older drivers with MCI on approach to intersections, and to investigate how their healthy counterparts perform on the same driving tasks using a portable driving simulator. Fourteen drivers with MCI and 14 age-matched healthy older drivers (aged 65-87 years) completed a 10-min simulator drive in an urban environment. The simulator drive consisted of stop-sign controlled and signal-controlled intersections. Drivers were required to stop at the stop-sign controlled intersections and to decide whether or not to proceed through a critical light change at the signal-controlled intersections. The specific performance measures included; approach speed, number of brake applications on approach to the intersection (either excessive or minimal), failure to comply with stop signs, and slower braking response times on approach to a critical light change. MCI patients in our sample performed more poorly than controls across a number of variables. However, because the trends failed to reach statistical significance it will be important to replicate the study using a larger sample to qualify whether the results can be generalised to the broader population.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia. aldev@deakin.edu.au
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McGillivray
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Charlton
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lowndes
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Etienne
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000523:psychology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003654:Deceleration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012449:Safety; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis