COLLISION AVOIDANCE TRAINING USING A DRIVING SIMULATOR IN DRIVERS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE: A PILOT STUDY.

Parkinson's disease (PD) impairs driving performance, and simulator studies have shown increased crashes compared to controls. In this pilot study, eight drivers with PD participated in three drive sessions with multiple simulator intersections of varying visibility and traffic load, where an incurring vehicle posed a crash risk. Over the course of the three sessions (once every 1-2 weeks), we observed reduction in crashes (p=0.059) and reaction times (p=0.006) to the vehicle incursion. These findings suggest that our simulator training program is feasible and potentially useful in drivers with PD. Future research questions include transfer of training to different driving tasks, duration of benefit, and the effect on long term real life outcomes in comparison to a standard intervention (e.g., driver education class) in a randomized trial.

[1]  B Hesketh,et al.  Learning from errors in a driving simulation: effects on driving skill and self-confidence , 2000, Ergonomics.

[2]  Matthew Rizzo,et al.  Unsafe rear-end collision avoidance in Alzheimer's disease , 2006, Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

[3]  Matthew Rizzo,et al.  Instrumented Vehicles and Driving Simulators , 2002 .

[4]  R. Iansek,et al.  Impact of internal versus external cueing on driving performance in people with Parkinson's disease , 2005, Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.

[5]  J D Dawson,et al.  Visual dysfunction in Parkinson disease without dementia , 2005, Neurology.

[6]  Joanne M Wood,et al.  Predictors of driving assessment outcome in Parkinson's disease , 2005, Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.

[7]  M. Hallett,et al.  A functional MRI study of automatic movements in patients with Parkinson's disease. , 2005, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[8]  Volker Hargutt,et al.  Evaluation of sleep and driving performance in six patients with Parkinson's disease reporting sudden onset of sleep under dopaminergic medication: A pilot study , 2002, Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.

[9]  Robert Iansek,et al.  Effect of a concurrent task on driving performance in people with Parkinson's disease , 2006, Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society.

[10]  Guido Baten,et al.  Training of driving-related attentional performance after stroke using a driving simulator , 2007 .

[11]  Karlene K. Ball,et al.  Driving in Old Age: Use of Technology to Promote Independence , 2002 .

[12]  Matthew Rizzo,et al.  Impaired navigation in drivers with Parkinson's disease. , 2007, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[13]  W. D. De Weerdt,et al.  Predictors of fitness to drive in people with Parkinson disease , 2007, Neurology.

[14]  H. Summala,et al.  Decreased driving ability in people with Parkinson’s disease , 1998, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[15]  J D Dawson,et al.  Driving with distraction in Parkinson disease , 2006, Neurology.

[16]  P Arno,et al.  Effect of simulator training on driving after stroke , 2005, Neurology.

[17]  J. Hulley,et al.  Parkinson's disease and driving ability. , 1990, Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry.

[18]  M. Rizzo,et al.  Simulated Car Crashes at Intersections in Drivers With Alzheimer Disease , 2001, Alzheimer disease and associated disorders.

[19]  Dieter Vaitl,et al.  Training of executive functions in Parkinson's disease , 2006, Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

[20]  Matthew Rizzo,et al.  Impaired visual search in drivers with Parkinson's disease , 2006, Annals of neurology.

[21]  R. Hauser,et al.  Driving safety in Parkinson’s disease , 2002, Neurology.

[22]  J. Grace,et al.  Visual and cognitive predictors of driving safety in Parkinson's disease patients. , 2007, Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists.

[23]  C Worringham,et al.  Quantitative assessment of driving performance in Parkinson’s disease , 2005, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry.