Background <p>Evidence and appropriate tools are often lacking to support the decision of driving discontinuation in cognitively impaired older adults by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Maintaining strong driving knowledge as individuals age is crucial for ensuring their fitness to drive. The objectives of this study were to describe the driving knowledge of older drivers &gt; 65 referred for cognitive assessment compared to control subjects. We also analyzed the relationship between neuropsychological tests and driving knowledge assessment.</p> Methods <p>Cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study in geriatric day hospitals including older drivers with cognitive complaints who underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Their performance on a driving theory test (knowledge of driving laws and road rules) and self-evaluation of driving abilities were assessed via a computer-based exam and compared to those of healthy younger drivers. Regression models were used to examine the relationship between driving knowledge and the neuropsychological examination scores with adjustment for age, gender and cognitive performance.</p> Results <p>We included 144 patients (mean age 79.6 ± 4.9) and 249 controls (mean age 28.1 ± 6.6). Performance in the driving theory test was significantly lower in patients than in controls (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). We showed a significative association between driving knowledge, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) independent from age, gender and cognitive performance.</p> Conclusion <p>Our study has raised concerns regarding the overall poor theoretical driving skills in older drivers and their low self-evaluation ability. The MoCA and the DSTT may be useful for guiding driving discontinuation in cognitively impaired older adults.</p>

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Driving knowledge assessment in cognitively impaired older adults: evidence from geriatric day hospitals

  • Clémentine Rivière,
  • Karl Götze,
  • Sophie Lacaille,
  • Claire Paquet,
  • Julien Dumurgier,
  • Capucine Diard,
  • Marie Laure Seux,
  • Charlotte Tomeo,
  • Antoine Lynch,
  • Sandrine Greffard,
  • Agathe Raynaud Simon,
  • Théodore Decaix,
  • Matthieu Lilamand

摘要

Background

Evidence and appropriate tools are often lacking to support the decision of driving discontinuation in cognitively impaired older adults by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Maintaining strong driving knowledge as individuals age is crucial for ensuring their fitness to drive. The objectives of this study were to describe the driving knowledge of older drivers > 65 referred for cognitive assessment compared to control subjects. We also analyzed the relationship between neuropsychological tests and driving knowledge assessment.

Methods

Cross-sectional, observational, multicenter study in geriatric day hospitals including older drivers with cognitive complaints who underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. Their performance on a driving theory test (knowledge of driving laws and road rules) and self-evaluation of driving abilities were assessed via a computer-based exam and compared to those of healthy younger drivers. Regression models were used to examine the relationship between driving knowledge and the neuropsychological examination scores with adjustment for age, gender and cognitive performance.

Results

We included 144 patients (mean age 79.6 ± 4.9) and 249 controls (mean age 28.1 ± 6.6). Performance in the driving theory test was significantly lower in patients than in controls (p < 0.001). We showed a significative association between driving knowledge, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) independent from age, gender and cognitive performance.

Conclusion

Our study has raised concerns regarding the overall poor theoretical driving skills in older drivers and their low self-evaluation ability. The MoCA and the DSTT may be useful for guiding driving discontinuation in cognitively impaired older adults.