title: Saccadic eye movement performance as an indicator of driving ability in elderly drivers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Regular checking of the fitness to drive of elderly car-license holders is required in some countries, and this will become increasingly important as more countries face aging populations. The present study investigated whether the analysis of saccadic eye movements could be used as a screening method for the assessment of driving ability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three different paradigms (prosaccades, antisaccades, and visuovisual interactive (VVI) saccades) were used to test saccadic eye movements in 144 participants split into four groups: elderly drivers who came to the attention of road authorities for suspected lack of fitness to drive, a group of elderly drivers who served as a comparison group, a group of neurology patients with established brain lesion diagnoses, and a young comparison group. The group of elderly drivers with suspected deficits in driving skills also underwent a medical examination and a practical on-road driving test. The results of the saccadic eye tests of the different groups were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Antisaccade results indicated a strong link to driving behaviour: elderly drivers who were not fit to drive exhibited a poor performance on the antisaccade task and the performance in the VVI task was also clearly poorer in this group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Testing saccadic eye movements appears to be a promising and efficient method for screening large numbers of people such as elderly drivers. This study indicated a link between antisaccade performance and the ability to drive. Hence, measuring saccadic eye movements should be considered as a tool for screening the fitness to drive.
authors: University and ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Switzerland; and Arbeitsgruppe für Unfallmechanik (AGU Zürich), Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Kai-Uwe
authors: KU
authors: Schmitt
authors: University of Zurich, Institute for Legal Medicine, Division Traffic Medicine, Switzerland.
authors: Rolf
authors: R
authors: Seeger
authors: Arbeitsgruppe für Unfallmechanik (AGU Zürich), Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Hartmut
authors: H
authors: Fischer
authors: Arbeitsgruppe für Unfallmechanik (AGU Zürich), Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Lanz
authors: Arbeitsgruppe für Unfallmechanik (AGU Zürich), Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Muser
authors: Arbeitsgruppe für Unfallmechanik (AGU Zürich), Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Felix
authors: F
authors: Walz
authors: University Hospital Zurich, Department of Neurology, Switzerland.
authors: Urs
authors: U
authors: Schwarz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001076:Aptitude / Q000502:physiology*; D001333:Automobile Driver Examination; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology*; D013557:Switzerland