title: The drive-wise project: driving simulator training increases real driving performance in healthy older drivers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Age-related cognitive decline is often associated with unsafe driving behavior. We hypothesized that 10 active training sessions in a driving simulator increase cognitive and on-road driving performance. In addition, driving simulator training should outperform cognitive training.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-one healthy active drivers (62-87 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) a driving simulator training group, (2) an attention training group (vigilance and selective attention), or (3) a control group. The main outcome variables were on-road driving and cognitive performance. Seventy-seven participants (85%) completed the training and were included in the analyses. Training gains were analyzed using a multiple regression analysis with planned orthogonal comparisons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The driving simulator-training group showed an improvement in on-road driving performance compared to the attention-training group. In addition, both training groups increased cognitive performance compared to the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Driving simulator training offers the potential to enhance driving skills in older drivers. Compared to the attention training, the simulator training seems to be a more powerful program for increasing older drivers' safety on the road.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Division of Gerontopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; International Normal Aging and Plasticity Research Centre Zurich Zurich, Schwitzerland.
authors.forename: Gianclaudio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casutt
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychiatry Research, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Theill
authors.affiliation: University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Center for Gerontology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Department of Neurology, Rehabilitation Centre Valens Valens, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; International Normal Aging and Plasticity Research Centre Zurich Zurich, Schwitzerland ; University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Lutz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jäncke
keywords: cognitive performance; cognitive training; driving simulator; on-road driving performance; training effects