Visual-Motor Processing Speed and Reaction Time Differences between Medically-At-Risk Drivers and Healthy Controls

Abstract

This cross-sectional study compared visual-motor processing speed and reaction times between medically-at-risk drivers and normal controls to determine if the time in seconds distinguished between drivers who pass, fail, or need restrictions based on a road test. The medically-at-risk drivers’ data (N = 35, 28-89 years) were collected as part of a comprehensive driving evaluation and coded by diagnosis (e.g., cognitive, neurological, medical) and driving outcome. The healthy control (N = 121, 21-79 years) data were collected in previous studies. The Vision Coach™ Full Field 60 task was used to collect reaction times in seconds between the two groups. Independent t-tests showed a significant difference (p < .001) in trial times between healthy controls and medically-at-risk adults. No significant difference (p = .141) was found between the three diagnoses groups. The resulting scores from the Vision Coach™ demonstrated a significant different (p < .001) between those who were determined fit to drive without restrictions and those who were determined not fit to drive after a comprehensive driving evaluation, showing the potential to be used as a screening tool for determining driving risk.