title: Reduced Physical Fitness in Patients With Heart Failure as a Possible Risk Factor for Impaired Driving Performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Reduced physical fitness secondary to heart failure (HF) may contribute to poor driving; reduced physical fitness is a known correlate of cognitive impairment and has been associated with decreased independence in driving. No study has examined the associations among physical fitness, cognition, and driving performance in people with HF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen people with HF completed a physical fitness assessment, a cognitive test battery, and a validated driving simulator scenario.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Partial correlations showed that poorer physical fitness was correlated with more collisions and stop signs missed and lower scores on a composite score of attention, executive function, and psychomotor speed. Cognitive dysfunction predicted reduced driving simulation performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduced physical fitness in participants with HF was associated with worse simulated driving, possibly because of cognitive dysfunction. Larger studies using on-road testing are needed to confirm our findings and identify clinical interventions to maximize safe driving.
authors.affiliation: Michael L. Alosco, MA, is Doctoral Student, Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Alosco
authors.affiliation: Marc S. Penn, MD, PhD, is Director of Research, Summa Cardiovascular Institute, Akron, OH.
authors.forename: Marc S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Penn
authors.affiliation: Mary Beth Spitznagel, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH.
authors.forename: Mary Beth
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Spitznagel
authors.affiliation: Mary Jo Cleveland, PhD, is Geriatrician, Center for Senior Health, Summa Health System, Akron, OH.
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cleveland
authors.affiliation: Brian R. Ott, MD, is Director, The Alzheimer's Disease & Memory Disorders Center, Rhode Island Hospital, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI.
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Ott
authors.affiliation: John Gunstad, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Kent State University, Kent, OH; jgunstad@kent.edu.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gunstad
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012307:Risk Factors