Objective: To assess the association between facial emotion recognition and traffic-related risk-taking behaviour in early Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients.

Background: Risk-taking behaviour is an important aspect of fitness to drive. Previous data suggest that an impaired recognition of fear is associated with increased risk-taking behaviour in traffic in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. Although PD patients show a reduced ability to recognize facial expressions, the relationship between facial emotion recognition and traffic-related risk-taking behaviour in early PD is not yet established.

Method: In total, 45 early PD patients with a disease duration of 3 to 4 years, and 45 healthy controls will be included in the study. Emotion recognition was assessed using the Ekman 60 faces test (EFT). Risk-taking behaviour was assessed using the Action Selection Test and two driving simulator scenarios: a driving scenario with and without direct danger. The number of unsafe responses on the Action Selection Test and the number of violations in one simulator ride were used to assess risk-taking behaviour in situations involving direct danger. The lateral swaying of the car during another simulator ride was used as a measure of risk-taking behaviour in a context without direct danger. PD patients and healthy controls were compared on the EFT and risk-taking measures, and correlations were calculated between EFT and measures of risk-taking behaviour in the PD group.

Results: Preliminary analyses of 7 PD patients and 13 healthy controls showed no differences in emotion recognition or risk-taking behaviour between both groups. In addition, no significant associations were found between emotion recognition and risk-taking behaviour in the PD group. Data of a larger group will be presented.

Conclusion: In conclusion, preliminary analyses did not show impaired emotion recognition or increased traffic-related risk-taking behaviour in early PD compared to healthy controls. Final results will indicate whether emotion recognition might be a useful marker of traffic-related risk-taking behaviour in early PD.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/emotion-recognition-and-risk-taking-behaviour-in-early-parkinsons-disease/