Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2025
Driving Simulation in the Clinic: Testing Visual Exploratory Behavior in Daily Life Activities in Patients with Visual Field Defects
Published on: September 18, 2012
Behind the wheel: exploring gray matter variations in experienced drivers
Jiangtao Chen1, Xiaoyu Chen1, Li Gong1
1Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, Liaoning, China.
Background:
Driving is a complex skill involving various cognitive activities. Previous research has explored differences in the brain structures related to the navigational abilities of drivers compared to non-drivers. However, it remains unclear whether changes occur in the structures associated with low-level sensory and higher-order cognitive abilities in drivers.
Methods:
Gray matter volume, assessed via voxel-based morphometry analysis of T1-weighted images, is considered a reliable indicator of structural changes in the brain. This study employs voxel-based morphological analysis to investigate structural differences between drivers (n = 22) and non-drivers (n = 20).
Results:
The results indicate that, in comparison to non-drivers, drivers exhibit significantly reduced gray matter volume in the middle occipital gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and cerebellum, suggesting a relationship with driving-related experience. Furthermore, the volume of the middle occipital gyrus, and middle temporal gyrus, is found to be marginally negative related to the years of driving experience, suggesting a potential impact of driving experience on gray matter volume. However, no significant correlations were observed between driving experiences and frontal gray matter volume.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that driving skills and experience have a pronounced impact on the cortical areas responsible for low-level sensory and motor processing. Meanwhile, the influence on cortical areas associated with higher-order cognitive function appears to be minimal.
