Driving practice effects for older drivers with mild cognitive impairment: A preliminary study

Abstract

Background Older drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) often show declining driving performance. Evidence is lacking regarding whether their driving skills can be improved after practice. Aims/Objectives To compare the practice effects of older drivers with MCI and drivers with normal cognition in an unfamiliar, standardized driving course with three practices. Materials and Methods Single-blind two-group observational design. Twelve drivers with confirmed MCI as the experimental group and ten with normal cognition (NC) as the control, all ≥ 55 years old. The primary outcome was to assess the practice effects, measured with an in-car global-positioning-system mobile application to compare the speed and directional control of a complex manoeuvre after practices. Secondary outcomes were to assess the pass/fail rate and mistakes observed for the 3rd/final on-road driving practice. No instructions were given during practice. Descriptive statistics and the Mann–Whitney U test were used for data analysis. Results No significant inter-group difference in the pass/fail rate and number of mistakes. Some MCI drivers performed better in the speed and directional control of the S-Bend manoeuvre after practices. Conclusions The driving performance of drivers with MCI may improve with practice. Significance Older drivers with MCI may potentially benefit from driver retraining. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04648735).