title: A description of neck motor performance, neck pain, fatigue, and mental effort while driving in a sample with chronic whiplash-associated disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Individuals with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) often note driving as a difficult task. This study's aims were to (1) compare, while driving, neck motor performance, mental effort, and fatigue in individuals with chronic WAD against healthy controls and (2) investigate the relationships of these variables and neck pain to self-reported driving difficulty in the WAD group.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved 14 participants in each group (WAD and control). Measures included self-reported driving difficulty and measures of neck pain intensity, overall fatigue, mental effort, and neck motor performance (head rotation and upper trapezius activity) while driving a simulator.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The WAD group had greater absolute path of head rotation in a simulated city area and used greater mental effort (P = 0.04), but there were no differences in other measures while driving compared with the controls (all P ≥ 0.05). Self-reported driving difficulty correlated moderately with neck pain intensity, fatigue level, and maximum velocity of head rotation while driving in the WAD group (all P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals with chronic WAD do not seem to have impaired neck motor performance while driving yet use greater mental effort. Neck pain, fatigue, and maximum head rotation velocity could be potential contributors to self-reported driving difficulty in this group.
authors.affiliation: From the NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence-Spinal Pain, Injury and Health, Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (HT, JT, VJ, WvdH, GJ); and Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety-Queensland, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (AR).
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treleaven
authors.forename: Venerina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: Wolbert
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Van den Hoorn
authors.forename: Andry
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rakotonirainy
authors.forename: Gwendolen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jull
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D009126:Muscle Relaxation / Q000502:physiology; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012399:Rotation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014911:Whiplash Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult