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Factors affecting driving performance in patients with Multiple Sclerosis - still an open question
Susan Seddiq Zai1, Roshan das Nair2,3, Christoph Heesen1
1Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis (INIMS), Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Frontiers in Neurology
|March 14, 2024
Summary
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) show impaired driving performance, including more accidents and slower reactions, compared to controls. Cognitive factors, particularly working memory, are linked to driving errors in early MS.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Multiple sclerosis (MS) can cause motor, visual, and cognitive impairments, potentially affecting driving safety.
- Early-stage MS patients may be at risk for unsafe driving due to disease-related deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare driving ability and performance between individuals with MS and neurologically healthy controls.
- To identify disease-related factors influencing driving performance in people with MS (PwMS).
Main Methods:
- Prospective comparison of driving simulator performance between 97 early MS patients and 94 controls.
- Comprehensive assessments included driving questionnaires, cognitive tests, and demographic/disease-related measures.
Main Results:
- PwMS exhibited significantly more driving accidents, slower reaction times, more errors, and a worse Driving Safety Score (DSS) in the simulator.
- The Wechsler Block-Tapping test (backward) was the primary disease-related factor associated with accident rates, driving errors, and DSS.
Conclusions:
- Early-stage MS is associated with reduced driving simulator performance, characterized by increased errors and accidents.
- While broad MS-related impairments showed minimal association, specific cognitive deficits (e.g., working memory) correlated with poorer driving outcomes.
- Driving ability is complex, influenced by multiple cognitive domains requiring further investigation.
