International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-9096
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2329-9096
+44 1300 500008
Masako Fujii, Yasuhiro Sawada, Kazuaki Goshi, Katsuya Matsunaga and Rumi Tanemura
Objective: Attention is important for driving an automobile. The aim of this study was to identify driving behaviors that are influenced by attention.
Methods: This study included 49 healthy individuals (19 men and 30 women) and 10 stroke patients (8 men and 2 women). The subjects’ attention was assessed using the Trail Making Test and the Simple Reaction Time task of the Continuous Performance Test. In a driving simulator with driving conditions set in accordance with the traffic regulations in Japan, including two lanes on each side of the road and a speed limit of 60 km/h, the subjects performed four left turn tasks, six right turn tasks, and six changing lane tasks. Road edge excursion frequency, speeding frequency and duration, crash frequency, speed during driving, distance from the vehicle ahead after entering the passing lane, vehicle positioning, and braking reaction time for a suddenly crossing vehicle were recorded.
Results: The results showed that attention deteriorated in the older subjects and that this affected driving behaviors, particularly for staying in one´s lane. We identified the characteristics of driving behaviors during right and left turns as well as changing lane. Elder subjects delayed corrections of steering and the control of speed.
Conclusion: In this driving simulator study, deterioration of attention in older drivers was related to road edge excursion and a delay in the control of speed and steering required for responding to the external environment under changing traffic conditions. It would be predicted the characteristics of the driving behavior by evaluating the attention. Although driving behaviors were similar for the stroke patients and the healthy subjects, stroke patients´ attention while driving requires a more detailed evaluation.