Visuospatial and Attentional Abilities Predict Driving Simulator Performance Among Older HIV-infected Adults

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Aging and HIV infection can independently and synergistically impact cognitive function.
• Neuropsychological (NP) impairment is a known complication of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND).
• Driving is a complex, multi-faceted activity requiring intact cognitive abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of aging and NP impairment on driving simulator performance in individuals with HIV.
• To identify specific cognitive domains that predict driving performance in older HIV-infected adults.

Main Methods:

• Seventy-nine HIV-infected adults (58 aged >50, 21 aged ≤40) completed a NP test battery and a driving simulator task.
• Driving performance was assessed by task completion time and number of city blocks navigated.
• Regression analyses were used to identify predictors of simulator performance.

Main Results:

• Older HIV-infected adults were less efficient and took longer to complete the driving task compared to younger counterparts.
• Visuospatial abilities and attention independently predicted poorer driving simulator performance in older adults.
• Individuals with NP impairment performed worse on driving tasks than those without NP impairment.

Conclusions:

• Older adults with HIV are at increased risk for driving-related functional compromise.
• HIV-associated neurocognitive decline significantly impacts driving abilities in older infected individuals.
• These findings highlight the need for driving safety assessments in aging HIV-infected populations.