Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 11, 2026
Driving Simulation in the Clinic: Testing Visual Exploratory Behavior in Daily Life Activities in Patients with Visual Field Defects
Published on: September 18, 2012
Driving performance in persons with mild to moderate symptoms of multiple sclerosis
Hannes Devos1, Tom Brijs, Geert Alders
1Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. Hannes.Devos@faber.kuleuven.be
Purpose:
To investigate whether driving performance is impaired in persons with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS).
Method:
This study included 15 persons with MS (pwMS) and 17 healthy controls. The MS group exhibited mild to moderate impairments on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (median, Q1-Q3; 3.5, 2.5-4). The driving simulation required participants to drive in daily traffic while attending to a divided attention (DA) task. Computerized measures on the driving task included number of accidents, tickets, speed maintenance, standard deviation of lateral position, and time to collision. Response times and accuracy on the DA task were also computer generated. Additionally, pwMS completed a clinical evaluation encompassing motor, functional, visual, psychosocial and cognitive tests.
Results:
No differences between healthy controls and pwMS were observed on all measures of the primary driving task. PwMS performed worse than healthy controls on DA response time (3.10 s, 2.87-3.68 versus 2.15 s, 2.04-2.43; p = 0.001) and accuracy (15 correct answers, 11-18 versus 24 correct answers, 22-25; p < 0.0001). Depression was significantly associated with time to collision (r = -0.77; p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
Subjects with mild to moderate MS are able to prioritize the driving task above the DA task. The relationship between depression and driving performance in MS merits further investigation.
Insights
Individuals with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS) maintained driving performance but showed deficits in divided attention tasks. Depression correlated with driving safety, suggesting further research is needed.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Driving Safety
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause cognitive and physical impairments.
- Assessing driving ability in individuals with MS is crucial for safety and independence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate driving performance in individuals with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS).
- To determine if cognitive deficits in MS impact driving simulation outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A driving simulation task with a divided attention component was used.
- Participants included 15 individuals with MS and 17 healthy controls.
- Clinical evaluations assessed motor, functional, visual, psychosocial, and cognitive status.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in primary driving task performance were found between groups.
- Individuals with MS demonstrated significantly worse performance on divided attention response time and accuracy.
- Depression was negatively correlated with time to collision, indicating a potential safety risk.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with mild to moderate MS can prioritize driving over secondary tasks.
- Cognitive impairments, particularly in divided attention, may not directly translate to impaired driving in this population.
- The link between depression and driving performance in MS warrants further investigation.
