Session Information
Date: Thursday, June 8, 2017
Session Title: Parkinson’s Disease: Clinical Trials, Pharmacology And Treatment
Session Time: 1:15pm-2:45pm
Location: Exhibit Hall C
Objective: To develop tests to predict the driving capability of PD patients.
Background: Continuing driving competence is a concern for Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and their families as it requires high-level cognitive functioning with multi-level integration of sensory, motor, and cortical function.
Methods: The driving abilities of 41 PD patients and 41 healthy controls were compared using a 3D driving simulator. Outcome measures included time to start (go light); time to stop (stop light & falling object); and distance from static obstacles. Demographic data and relevant parameters were also analysed to identify variables that predict driving cessation.
Results: No statistically significant differences were found in demographic data between PD patients and controls. However, fewer PD patients were active drivers and more had fallen in the past month. On the simulator, PD patients had slower reaction times, and made more mistakes compared to controls (p<0.05 each) (Table 1). Furthermore, compared to PD patients without postural instability, fewer PD patients with postural instability were active drivers and they made more simulator mistakes (p<0.05 each) (Table 2). For all, aging and diagnosis of PD were predictors for driving cessation (OR=5.62 and 8.97 respectively) and amongst PD drivers, postural instability was a strong predictor of driving cessation (OR=15.47).
Conclusions: PD patients are more at risk of a driving accident and many decide to quit driving early. Amongst our PD patients, postural instability is a predictor of driving cessation, possibly associated with disease-related axial immobility. The presence of postural instability is a useful indicator of PD severity that alerts physicians to carefully evaluate these patients for driving competency.
References: Jitkritsadakul O, Bhidayasiri R. Physicians’ Role in the Determination of Fitness to Drive in Patients With Parkinson’s Disease: Systematic Review of the Assessment Tools and a Call for National Guidelines.J Clinical Mov Disord,3, 14. 2016 Oct 04.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
O. Jitkritsadakul, S. Krootjohn, C. Thanawattano, C. Anan, R. Bhidayasiri. Postural Instability is a Predictor for Driving Cessation Among Parkinson’s Disease Drivers: A Study of a Computer-Based 3D Driving Simulator. [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2017; 32 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/postural-instability-is-a-predictor-for-driving-cessation-among-parkinsons-disease-drivers-a-study-of-a-computer-based-3d-driving-simulator/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2017 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/postural-instability-is-a-predictor-for-driving-cessation-among-parkinsons-disease-drivers-a-study-of-a-computer-based-3d-driving-simulator/