The neural correlates of driving

We studied 12 healthy subjects with fMRI while they performed a driving simulation task. In the active condition they steered the car themselves (driving), in the passive condition a person from outside the scanner was steering the car (passive driving). Common activations in both conditions were found in occipital and parietal regions bilaterally. Activity specifically associated with driving was found only in the sensorimotor cortex and the cerebellum. Compared to passive driving, activity during driving was reduced in numerous brain regions including MT/MST. It is concluded that simulated driving requires mainly perceptual–motor integration and that the limited cognitive capacity model of driving has to be revised.

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