Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Driving skills in unmedicated first- and recurrent-episode schizophrenic patients
Felix M Segmiller1, Verena Buschert2, Gerd Laux3,4
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. Felix.Segmiller@med.uni-muenchen.de.
Abstract:
The present study was designed to examine driving skills according to regulations of the German guidelines for road and traffic safety in unmedicated schizophrenic inpatients. A total of 13 first-episode (FES) and 13 recurrent-episode (RES) schizophrenic inpatients were included in the analysis and compared with a group of 20 healthy controls (HC). Data were collected with the computerised Wiener Testsystem measuring visual perception, reactivity and stress tolerance, concentration and vigilance. Analysis of data indicates that a great proportion (58 %) of schizophrenic patients were impaired in psychomotor functions related to driving skills. FES and RES significantly differed with respect to driving ability with a greater proportion in the FES (38 %) showing severe impairments when compared with RES (25 %). Differences with respect to HC performance were most pronounced in concentration and for the FES additionally in visual perception. Analysis of our data indicates that a great proportion of schizophrenic patients are impaired in psychomotor functions related to driving skills that cannot be attributed to adverse side effects of psychopharmacological treatment. Besides, we cannot confirm a chronical decline of psychomotor functions related to driving skills at least in the early course of schizophrenic illness.
More Related Videos
11:12Driving Simulation in the Clinic: Testing Visual Exploratory Behavior in Daily Life Activities in Patients with Visual Field Defects
Published on: September 18, 2012
05:52Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes...
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Schizophrenia
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications