Karen Scally - Experimental Neuropsychology Research Unit

Factors Influencing Driving Performance in Parkinson's Disease

I have had a keen interest in experimental neuropsychology for some time and my clinical neuropsychology training has further guided my research interests toward the effects of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD) on the execution of everyday activities such as driving.  My research thesis follows on from previous ENRU research in which PD drivers were found to have significantly poorer driving performance than healthy age-matched controls.  More specifically, these results indicated that PD drivers relied heavily on external cues to regulate driving performance even when internal cueing was available and more efficient.

The current research project further examines the nature of this driving impairment by investigating PD drivers' responses to various ecologically valid external cueing conditions during simulated driving performance.  The effect of PD on driving ability has important implications for road safety, but also for an individual's ongoing independence and quality of life.  There are currently no effective screening tools to indicate whether individuals with PD may be experiencing such difficulties.  Research has also shown that health professionals have difficulty assessing driving ability of individuals with PD. 
Our study aims to identify possible ways that we can easily detect driving difficulties so that we can develop strategies for maintaining safe driving practices in people with PD.  In addition, our research may aid the roads and licensing authorities in the development of more effective assessments and road signs to improve the safety of drivers with PD.