DRIVING, ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE AND AGING - A POTENTIAL COGNITIVE SCREENING DEVICE FOR ALL ELDERLY DRIVERS

To compare detriments to driving ability related to Alzheimer's diseas e (AD) and normal ageing, 19 patients with AD and 48 apparently normal elderly subjects were assessed on measures of cognitive ability to dr ive (Stroke Drivers Screening Assessment-SDSA). The presence of AD cou ld have a large detrimental effect on driving ability, as measured by a battery of cognitive tests known to be related to on-road driving pe rformance. All of the AD group failed, whereas 48% of the control grou p failed (mean = 5.09, 95% confidence interval 3.75-6.43; t = 7.59 df = 65 p<0.001). Normal ageing may also have a detrimental effect on dri ving ability, as a significant negative correlation was found between apparently normal ageing and performance on the battery (r = -0.72, 95 % confidence interval -0.6 to -0.8; df = 56, p < 0.001). These data su ggest that cognitive decline related to AD and normal ageing may rende r some unsafe to drive, provided that the correlation between the SDSA and on-road driving skills holds for normal and demented elderly. Fur ther validation of the SDSA is needed but cognitive screening may well be an important tool in deciding about an individual's safety on the road.