Overview
The goal of this observational study is to learn more about who can continue driving a car after a stroke. The focus of this study is on the relationship between cognitive abilities and fitness-to-drive.
Participants will be asked to perform an extended neuropsychological testing and a real life on-road test, conducted by a professional driving instructor. Feedback will be given to the participants on request.
Description
The relationship between cognitive abilities and driving skills is really complex. This study aims to introduce novel data analysing methods that can be used by medical professionals to decide whether the stroke patient is able to operate a vehicle safely or not.
The neuropsychological assessment will involve paper and pencil tests, computerized tests (such as reaction time measurements) and a driving simulator. This part will be approximately 2 hours. Since the first part is really tiresome, the test driving will be on an other day. The driving instructor will guide the participant on a standard route, and will evaluate the performance using standard criteria that will focus mainly on traffic safety.
Who can participate in the study:
- Aged 65 or younger
- Holds a driving licence
- Had an ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- Has sufficient physical abilities to operate a car
- Does not have certain medical conditions such epilepsy
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- 65 or younger
- ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- at least 6 months has passed after the stroke
- holds a valid driver's licence
Exclusion Criteria:
- visual impairments (eg. visual field loss, nystagmus or diplopia)
- epilepsy
- serious movement disorders (eg. hemiplegia) that hider operating a car
- limb ataxia
- aphasia types that affect comprehension
- serious psychiatrical disorders