The driving capacity of individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is an open issue. The present research aimed at exploring the capacity of neurological and neuropsychological measures to predict driving performance in individuals with MCI. A CDR score of 0.5 was required for the diagnosis of MCI. Additional inclusion criteria were the presence of a valid driver’s license and regular car driving. Measures assessing information processing speed, visuospatial memory, balance and movement coordination and psychomotor vigilance played an important role on predicting driving indexes, such as number of crashes, reaction time, average driving speed and lateral position variation. The present findings show that neurological and neuropsychological measures are useful predictors of driving competence of individuals with MCI and could be used for detecting MCI patients at risk for car accidents. (Author/publisher)
Abstract