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Effects of an opioid (oxycodone/paracetamol) and an NSAID (bromfenac) on driving ability, memory functioning, psychomotor performance, pupil size, and mood.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that driving a car is relatively safe when the driver is treated with nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs than when he or she is treated with opioid analgesics. However, the evidence for this statement is scarce. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug (bromfenac 25 mg and 50 mg) and an opioid (oxycodone/paracetamol 5/325 mg and 10/650 mg), and placebo on driving ability, memory functioning, psychomotor performance, pupil size, and mood. METHODS: Out of 30 healthy volunteers, 18 completed this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, before the study had to be stopped due to bromfenac being pulled out from the market. One hour after administration of the drugs, the participants performed a standardized driving test during normal traffic. Thereafter, driving quality, mental effort and mental activation during driving were assessed. A laboratory test battery was performed 2.5 hours after administration of the drug. Visual analog scales assessing mood and pupil measurements were performed on several occasions during each test day. RESULTS: Both analgesics did not significantly affect performance in any test. However, volunteers reported that significantly more effort was needed to perform the driving test when treated with oxycodone/paracetamol, and that they experienced increased sedation and reduced alertness. Also, the pupil size was significantly decreased. In contrast, subjective assessments after both doses of bromfenac matched that of placebo. DISCUSSION: No significant impairment in behavior was found in the volunteers for both bromfenac and oxycodone/paracetamol. The lack of impairment from oxycodone/paracetamol may have been related to the participants reporting increased effort during driving while under the influence of this drug.

Acetaminophen↗

Evaluation of two assessment tools in predicting driving ability of senior drivers.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate Motor Free Visual Perceptual Test (MVPT) and Clock Drawing Task (clock test) as quick assessment tools in predicting driving capability of senior drivers for an on-road driving test. DESIGN: Senior drivers (> or = 55 yrs) referred for evaluation and recommendation for license renewal were given the MVPT, clock test, and an on-road driving test. Receiving operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and stepwise multivariate logistic regression (SMLR) were used to develop a probability model to differentiate between capable and incapable senior drivers. RESULTS: Data for 232 seniors who had completed all written tests and the on-road driving test were analyzed. Of the 232 seniors, 131 (56%) were classified as capable and 101 (44%) as incapable drivers on the road test. Mean scores for capable and incapable drivers were MVPT 32.0 +/- 4.0 vs. 28.4 +/- 4.6 and mean clock test score 3.5 +/- 0.8 vs. 2.7 +/- 1.2, and mean processing time was 7.1 + 6.5 vs. 10.6 + 5.5. The means of the three measurements were significantly different between the two groups (P value <0.001). ROC curve analysis revealed an optimal cut point of > or = 32 for MVPT score with 60% sensitivity and 83% specificity. The optimal cut point for clock test scores is > or = 3 with 70% sensitivity and 65% specificity. The optimal cut point for processing times is < or = 6.27 secs with 60% sensitivity and 80% specificity. SMLR showed that the most significant predictor of seniors' driving capabilities are the MVPT test scores and clock test scores. CONCLUSION: MVPT and clock test tools are significant predictors of driving capability on an on-road driving test.

Automobile Driving↗

The metabolic costs of meiotic drive.

Selfish genetic elements, such as meiotic drive genes, disrupt Mendel's law of equal segregation by biasing their own transmission, often at a detriment to the rest of the genome. Metabolic costs of the X-linked sex ratio (SR) meiotic drive were investigated in stalk-eyed flies (Teleopsis dalmanni). The experiments demonstrate that individuals with SR have reduced capacity for ATP synthesis. The disruption in mitochondrial function leads to compensation exhibited in increased basal metabolic rate and greater food consumption across a range of diets. The range of metabolic costs of drive was evident in males and females at a similar magnitude. The likely cause lies in the accumulation of deleterious mutations within the series of large inversions on the drive X chromosome, subject to low recombination and weak natural selection. In females, the drive chromosome had a dominant effect, with a single copy causing substantial metabolic compromise. There was little evidence of male-specific metabolic costs, nor evidence of greater effects of drive chromosomes on female metabolism. This suggests that direct metabolic costs from meiotic drive on spermatogenesis and from sexually antagonistic selection are relatively weak. Our results underscore the broad physiological impacts that selfish genetic elements have on host metabolism and fitness.

Animals↗

Fetal heart rate and uterine contraction during automobile driving.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to clarify the influence of automobile driving in the third trimester of pregnancy on fetal heart rate and uterine contraction. METHODS: Twenty-nine pregnant women with singleton pregnancies after 28 weeks of gestation were monitored using a portable cardiotocogram during driving, and the results obtained before and after driving were compared. RESULTS: Baseline fetal heart rate and its variability, as well as periodic fetal heart rate patterns, showed no abnormal patterns during car driving. Automobile driving in late pregnancy was not a reinforcement factor for uterine activity. Maternal systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate showed no specific characteristic or adverse change during driving. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that automobile driving in the third trimester of pregnancy has no adverse influences on either pregnant women or fetuses.

Automobile Driving↗

Drink and drug driving: what's the skipper up to?

OBJECTIVE: Since the introduction of random breath testing (RBT) in Australia there has been a significant reduction in drink driving, as measured by alcohol-related crashes. In contrast, the prevalence of drug-related road fatalities is on the increase. One strategy that targets drink- and/or drug-driving is the promotion of a designated driver or 'skipper'. This paper determines to what extent the 'skipper' is driving alcohol or drug-free. METHODS: A convenience sample of university students from The University of Western Australia completed a questionnaire that included questions on drug and alcohol use while driving as the designated 'skipper'. RESULTS: The mean age of the 286 participants was 21 years. Among the students who reported acting as the designated 'skipper' during the past 12 months, 26% of the students drove, as the designated 'skipper,' while feeling the effects of alcohol. Similarly, 18% of students who reported using drugs drove, as the 'skipper', while feeling the effects of the drug. Multivariate analysis identified that the presence of random drug testing would act as a deterrent for drug driving while the designated 'skipper'. CONCLUSION: Although three-quarters of designated 'skippers' do not drink and/or drug drive, a sizeable proportion of young drivers continue to place themselves and, more importantly, their passengers and the entire community at an elevated risk of injury. IMPLICATIONS: Campaigns that target the responsibility of the 'skipper' and that are included as part of drink-driving campaigns would be beneficial. It is premature to be making recommendations on random drug testing for drivers.

Adult↗

Epilepsy, driving laws, and patient disclosure to physicians.

To avoid loss of driving privileges, patients with epilepsy may elect not to report seizures to their physician or to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Reporting to the physician may differ depending upon the type of law in effect, i.e., mandatory physician reporting versus patient reporting to the DMV. Nondisclosure to the physician may have important consequences with regard to seizure management. We surveyed patients at two adult seizure clinics to determine the effect of driving laws on patients' reporting to their physician. One hundred fifty-eight patients completed an anonymous questionnaire asking whether they would report a breakthrough seizure under a physician versus a patient DMV reporting system. Under patient reporting, 96% would inform their physician and 56% would report to the DMV. Under physician reporting, 84% would inform their physician. This falls to 72% when considering currently driving patients only. An additional 9-17% of patients would continue to drive with a suspended license. In all, 53% would remain driving under patient reporting and 33% under physician reporting; however, with physician reporting, half of the illegally driving patients would have compromised their medical care, potentially increasing driving risk.

Automobile Driver Examination↗

Development of a test battery to identify older drivers at risk for self-reported adverse driving events.

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were (1) to develop a battery of tests that assessed a wide range of functional abilities relevant to driving yet could be performed in a clinician's office and (2) to determine which of these tests were most closely associated with self-reported adverse driving events. DESIGN: A cohort study. SETTING: An urban community. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were drawn from the Project Safety cohort, a probability sample of noninstitutionalized older persons in New Haven, Connecticut, initiated in 1989. The current study included surviving, active drivers in the cohort (N=125). MEASURES: The test battery assessed visual, cognitive, and physical abilities potentially relevant to driving, and was administered in participants' homes by trained interviewers between October 1994 and July 1995. Outcome measures included the self-report of a crash, moving violation, or being stopped by police in any Project Safety interview since the inception of the cohort. Analyses compared performance on the elements of the test battery with participants' histories of adverse driving events. RESULTS: Of the 125 drivers, 50 (40%) had reported an adverse event in a mean period of 5.76 (+/-.25) years before the current interview. The elements of the test battery independently associated with a history of events, adjusting for driving frequency, included near visual acuity worse than 20/40 (adjusted odds ratio 11.90), limited neck rotation (OR 6.10), and poor performance on a test of visual attention, the number cancellation task (OR 3.00). The resulting regression equation yielded a sensitivity of 80%, a specificity of 55%, and an area under the curve of .75 by receiver operating characteristic analysis. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest it may be possible to identify individuals potentially at risk for self-reported adverse driving events using simple tests of functional ability. If validated, such an approach could be used to identify individuals who need a more detailed assessment of functional abilities to determine the severity and etiology of impairments, and their effect on driving performance, as well as possible interventions to correct or compensate for the impairments.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Driving cessation in older men with incident dementia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and cessation of driving among older men with incident dementia in the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort data from a community-based study of incident dementia. SETTING: The Honolulu Heart Program and the Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 643 men who were evaluated for the incidence of Alzheimer's disease or other dementia between the fourth and the fifth examination of the Honolulu Heart Program. MEASUREMENTS: Driving history, diagnosis of dementia, grip strength, walking speed, standing balance test, interviewer's rating of vision status, and the neurologist's notes on mentions of driving behavior from informal interviews with a caregiver or family informant. RESULTS: The prevalence of driving declined dramatically with level of cognitive functioning. Among 162 men evaluated and found to have normal cognitive functioning, 78% still drove, compared with 62% of 287 men with poor cognitive functioning but no clinical dementia, 46% of 96 men with a new diagnosis of very mild dementia (Clinical Dementia Rating = 0.5), and 22% of 98 men with a new diagnosis of mild dementia (CDR = 1). Only one of 23 men diagnosed with moderate or more severe staged incident dementia (CDR > 1) was driving. About 10% of the 59 demented persons still driving relied on co-pilots, and only one driver was reported as involved in a crash according to a review of the neurologists' notes. CONCLUSIONS: Incident dementia is a major cause of driving cessation. Based on these data, we estimate that approximately 4% of male drivers aged 75 years and older nationwide (about 175,000 men) have dementia. This number will increase with the projected growth of drivers aged 75 years and older.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Clinician assessment of the driving competence of patients with dementia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the validity and reliability of clinician ratings of the driving competence of patients with mild dementia. DESIGN: Observational study of a cross-section of drivers with mild dementia based on chart review by clinicians with varying types of expertise and experience. SETTING: Outpatient dementia clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty dementia subjects from a longitudinal study of driving and dementia. MEASUREMENTS: Each clinician reviewed information from the clinic charts and the first study visit. The clinician then rated the drivers as safe, marginal, or unsafe. A professional driving instructor compared these ratings with total driving scores on a standardized road test and categorical ratings of driving competence. Clinicians also completed a visual analog scale assessment of variables that led to their determinations of driving competence. RESULTS: Accuracy of clinician ratings ranged from 62% to 78% for the instructor's global rating of safe versus marginal or unsafe. In general, there was moderate accuracy and interrater reliability. Accuracy could have been improved in the least-accurate raters by greater attention to dementia duration and severity ratings, as well as less reliance on the history and physical examination. The most accurate predictors were clinicians specially trained in dementia assessment, who were not necessarily the most experienced in their years of clinical experience. CONCLUSION: Although a clinician may be able to identify many potentially hazardous drivers, accuracy is insufficient to suggest that a clinician's assessment alone is adequate to determine driving competence in those with mild dementia.

Aged↗

Visual function and car driving: longitudinal results 5 years after cataract surgery in a population.

AIMS: To determine visual function in drivers who had cataract surgery 5 years previously, and to analyse longitudinal data, by comparing preoperative and postoperative changes in subjective driving ability and objective visual function. METHODS: All patients (810) who underwent cataract surgery, during a 1 year period, were prospectively studied. Data regarding present driving status were collected from self administered questionnaires and visual acuity (VA) data were measured before and after surgery. All patients who were alive 5 years later were invited to participate with a new eye examination and questionnaire. RESULTS: Before surgery 36 active drivers (16%) did not fulfil the visual requirements for driving; with improved glasses this number could be reduced to 24 (11%). 5 years after surgery, the corresponding figures were 5% and 3% (5/174), respectively. Before surgery 50% stated visual difficulties while driving in daylight and 79% in darkness. A few months and 5 years after surgery the corresponding figures were 6% and 5%, respectively, for daytime driving and 34% and 44%, respectively, for night-time driving. CONCLUSIONS: Long term results regarding cataract surgery in car drivers are beneficial. 5 years after surgery only a few patients drove not fulfilling the requirements, but there were a larger proportion of patients with problems driving in darkness compared with a few months after surgery.

Aged↗

Bilateral cataract surgery and driving performance.

BACKGROUND: Cataract surgery is one of the most common medical procedures undertaken worldwide. AIMS: To investigate whether cataract surgery can improve driving performance and whether this can be predicted by changes in visual function. METHODS: 29 older patients with bilateral cataracts and 18 controls with normal vision were tested. All were licensed drivers. Driving and vision performance were measured before cataract surgery and after second eye surgery for the patients with cataract and on two separate occasions for the controls. Driving performance was assessed on a closed-road circuit. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, glare sensitivity and kinetic visual fields were measured at each test session. RESULTS: Patients with cataract had significantly poorer (p<0.05) driving performance at the first visit than the controls for a range of measures of driving performance, which significantly improved to the level of the controls after extraction of both cataracts. The change in contrast sensitivity after surgery was the best predictor of the improvements in driving performance in patients with cataract. CONCLUSIONS: Cataract surgery results in marked improvements in driving performance, which are related to concurrent improvements in contrast sensitivity.

Aged↗

Pupil dilatation does affect some aspects of daytime driving performance.

AIMS: To examine the effects of pupil dilatation on driving performance and determine whether this was related to changes in standard measures of visual function. METHODS: The driving and vision performance of 16 young, visually normal participants was measured with both normal and dilated pupils. Pupils were dilated with 1% tropicamide. Driving performance was measured under daytime conditions on a closed road circuit that was free of other vehicles and has been used in previous studies of driving performance. Measures included road sign detection and recognition, hazard detection and avoidance, gap perception and negotiation, driving reaction times and time to complete the circuit. Visual performance measures included high contrast visual acuity, Pelli-Robson letter contrast sensitivity, and glare sensitivity. RESULTS: Pupil dilatation significantly (p<0.05) decreased the ability of participants to recognise low contrast hazards and avoid them, decreased their visual acuity and contrast sensitivity and increased glare sensitivity. The decreases in vision performance were not, however, significantly related to the decrement in driving performance. CONCLUSION: Pupil dilatation can impair selected aspects of driving and vision performance and patients should be cautioned about these possible effects.

Adult↗

Diabetes, driving, and the general practitioner.

The medical fitness of drivers who have diabetes is assessed primarily by general practitioners. A survey was made of the knowledge of driving and diabetes of 105 general practitioners in Glasgow. Ninety four (90%) knew that people who were insulin dependent were required by law to declare their condition to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre in Swansea, but most were unaware that people with diabetes should not hold a "till 70" driving licence. Seventy one doctors (69%) claimed that patients were recalled individually for fitness to drive. The minimum visual acuity for driving was stated correctly by 37 (35%). Only eight respondents knew that a hypoglycaemic diabetic driver can be charged with driving under the influence of a drug (Road Traffic Act 1972), and the practical advice that was given to patients about hypoglycaemia and driving was unsatisfactory. As a group the general practitioners showed deficiencies in knowledge regarding diabetes and driving, suggesting a need for further postgraduate education.

Automobile Driving↗

Understanding the knowledge and attitudes of commercial drivers in Ghana regarding alcohol impaired driving.

OBJECTIVES: The knowledge and attitudes of commercial drivers in Ghana as regards alcohol impaired driving were investigated. This was done in order to provide information that could subsequently be used to develop antidrunk driving social marketing messages built upon the intrinsic values and motivation of these drivers. METHODS: Focus group discussions were held with 43 bus and minibus drivers in the capitol city, Accra. A structured discussion guide was used to capture information related to values, risk perceptions, leisure time activities, and attitudes on alcohol impaired driving. RESULTS: The majority of drivers expressed an understanding that drunk driving was a significant risk factor for crashes. There was a significant under-appreciation of the extent of the problem, however. Most believed that it was only rare, extremely intoxicated drivers who were the problem. The drivers also had a minimal understanding of the concept of blood alcohol concentration and related legal limits. Despite these factors, there was widespread support for increased enforcement of existing antidrunk driving laws. CONCLUSIONS: In Ghana, commercial drivers understand the basic danger of drunk driving and are motivated to assist in antidrunk driving measures. There are misconceptions and deficits in knowledge that need to be addressed in subsequent educational campaigns.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Nighttime driving, passenger transport, and injury crash rates of young drivers.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the association of nighttime driving and the carrying of passengers with the rate of motor vehicle crashes that resulted in severe or fatal injury to young drivers in California before the implementation of a graduated licensing system. METHOD: Passenger vehicle drivers aged 16 or 17 involved in injury crashes in California from 1 January 1993 to 30 June 1998 were identified through a police crash database. An induced exposure method was used to estimate driving exposure. Odds ratios for driver injury crashes were estimated with logistic regression. RESULTS: Driving at night, driving without adult supervision, driving with passengers, using alcohol, being 16, and being male were associated with high rates of driver injury crash. CONCLUSIONS: The injury crash rate for drivers aged 16 or 17 increases during nighttime hours and in the absence of adult supervision, with or without other passengers. Driving between 10 pm and midnight is particularly dangerous for young drivers. Nighttime driving restrictions that begin at 10 pm or earlier and restrictions on carrying passengers at any hour may increase the effectiveness of graduated licensing systems.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Driving abilities in frontotemporal dementia patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate driving competency and the relationship between neuropsychiatric symptoms and driving behavior in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients. METHODS: Fifteen patients with a diagnosis of FTD and 15 healthy controls were administered a driving simulation task. Measures of driving performance and neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed. RESULTS: The FTD patients received more speeding tickets, ran more stop signs and were involved in more off-road crashes and collisions than the controls. The patients' overall average speed was significantly higher. Driving performance was correlated with agitated behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral changes characteristic of FTD patients have an impact on their driving skills leading to inappropriate driving behavior.

Adult↗

Simulated long-term driving performance before and after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

To investigate whether automobile drivers with the clinical features of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) perform worse than controls in a simulated long-term test drive, and to see if their driving improves after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), 15 male drivers with SAS, suffering from sleep spells whilst driving, and 10 matched controls without a history of SAS or hypersomnia at the wheel were tested in an advanced driving simulator. Brake reaction time, lateral position deviation and off-road episodes were measured during a 90-min rural drive at twilight conditions. The clinical evaluation was made by a questionnaire scoring symptoms of snoring, sleep disturbances and diurnal sleepiness before and after surgery. Before UPPP the patient group showed impaired performance in all three effect measures compared to controls. UPPP resulted in improved reaction time performance (average mean improvement: 0.5 s, average 90th percentile improvement 0.8 s). Furthermore, 12 of the 15 patients reported a marked improvement regarding sleepiness whilst driving. For these clinically successful cases the number of off-road episodes decreased substantially. We conclude that most patients improve their long-term driving performance as a result of UPPP.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Driving phobia in the city of Houston: a pilot study.

To study the fear of driving phenomenon the authors contacted 48 subjects who, in response to a newspaper article, had expressed an intense fear of driving in the city of Houston and compared them with an age- and sex-matched control group. The information elicited from the subjects suggested the existence of a driving phobia. No significant differences emerged between the phobic subjects and the controls on relevant driving history and background. Although the phobic subjects reported significantly higher levels of anxiety while driving in normal and difficult situations, most of them reported anxiety of phobic intensity only about difficult driving situations, such as driving on freeways and in congested traffic.

Adult↗