Home / Summaries / Advanced CN driving week 7 / drive-disease-parkinson

Parkinson's disease and issues related to driving

4 important questions on Parkinson's disease and issues related to driving

What does Uitti (2009) say about pt. Parkinson disease about them being able to drive safely?

1. majority able to drive safely but driving performance is worse than for general population

2. Cognitive deficits are associated with greater danger

3. PD patients had delayed deceleration despite driving slower, worse steering, slower reaction times and missing red lights

Name 4 factors suggested by Uitti (2009) to decline safety of driving in Parkinson disease

1. Cognitive impairment

2. visual processing

3. motor dysfunction

4. excessive day time sleepiness.

How is treatment with dopamine in Parkinson related to driving abilities?

dopamine agonists and levodopa may increase somnolence, no dopamine agonist is more likely than others to cause somnolence, persons who fall asleep may not necessarily recall prodromal drowsiness, and the risk for falling asleep while driving appears to be correlated with excessive daytime somnolence

How can declining safety for Parkinson drivers be predicted?

the ability for PD patients to drive safely can be predicted by virtue of disease duration, ability to visually process, and motor and cognitive function. Simulator and road-testing in selected PD drivers can result in recommending “to drive” (with and without restrictions) or “not drive” a motor vehicle. With progression of disease, aging, and changes in anti-parkinsonian medication intake, ongoing deliberation is required to monitor fitness to drive in PD patients

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Advanced CN driving week 7

View summary