Predicting safe driving in persons with MCI or Alzheimer Disease
Start Date: 1st October 2008
2008 Research Project Grant Round
Approved for funding by CMRF $12,033.00
Researcher 1: Petra Hoggarth
Van der Veer Institute
Photo of Research Team
From left: John Dalyrymple-Alford, Carrie Innes, Richard Jones, Petra Hoggarth
Researcher 2: Dr Carrie Innes
Van der Veer Institute
Researcher 3: Associate Professor Richard Jones
Van der Veer Institute
Researcher 4: Associate Professor John Dalrymple-Alford
By 2050, the number of adults aged 80 and above in New Zealand is expected to more than double, rising from 3.2% of the population in 2006, to 8%. Health concerns found to be linked to increases in unsafe driving in older age groups include chronic health conditions, age-associated visual problems, and increased cognitive impairment and dementia processes.
The main aim of the study is to derive statistical classification models of safety to drive for a group of drivers with cognitive impairments. The classification models will use data from the SMCTests assessment, the neuropsychological assessment, and demographic and driving history.Drivers with dementia are at an increased risk of accidents, with rates 2.5 to 10.7 times higher than those older drivers without dementia, although many will still pass an on-road driving assessment.
In New Zealand, compulsory on-road tests for retaining a license are no longer required. Drivers aged 75, 80, and biennially thereafter are required to obtain a medical certificate from their doctor. With a burgeoning number of older adults on the road and an associated increase in the numbers of people with dementia, appropriate assessment procedures are needed to detect those who are not safe to drive. The current off-road methods of assessing drivers with cognitive impairment and dementia are not specific enough to detect differences between those who are safe and those who are unsafe.
In this study, we will recruit 60 people referred to the Driving and Vehicle Assessment Service (DAVAS) at Burwood Hospital with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s dementia. At DAVAS, each participant will undergo an off-road assessment with a battery of computerized sensory-motor and cognitive tests (SMCTests™) and an on-road driving assessment administered by a specialist driving occupational therapist and a driving instructor. Prior to this, participants will undergo a detailed neuropsychological assessment of ~2.5 hours duration.
Photo of Research Team at the Van der Veer Institute:
From left. John Dalrymple-Alford, Carrie Innes, Richard Jones, Petra Hoggarth
