Driving resumption and its predictors after stroke

Despite the prevalence of ischemic stroke, little is known regarding driving resumption and its determinants after stroke. This study documents driving resumption poststroke and describes the relationship between specific variables and driving resumption.

Between May 2001 and January 2002, 110 consecutive patients admitted to Hartford Hospital with acute ischemic stroke, who had driven during the month before admission, were enrolled in this cohort study. Stroke outcome measures including the NIH Stroke Scale, Barthel Index, Short Form (SF-12), COOPS social support scale, and an original questionnaire were administered. Patients were followed up at three and six months to establish poststroke driving status. The relationship between driving resumption and the predictor variables was determined using correlations (point-biserial and phi coefficients) and forward multiple logistic regression.

Forty (50%) of the surveyed patients resumed driving within one month of their strokes. The best logistic regression model (R2 = 0.391) for predicting resumption of driving after stroke included the variables prestroke driving frequency (OR = 7.74 [2.47-24.3]), poststroke Barthel Index score (OR = 1.16 [1.06-1.27]), and marital status (OR = 3.55 [1.28-9.83]).

Resumption of driving is early after mild strokes. Factors other than the specific consequences of the stroke contribute to the prediction of driving resumption. While factors such as prestroke driving frequency, functional independence and marital status should not be used as a sanction for driving resumption, they offer insights to individuals who are likely to resume driving early after an ischemic stroke.