Can
functional imaging be used as a tool for
screening driving safety in Seniors?
Newswise — By
2030 more than 40 million senior drivers over
the age of 65 will be traveling the streets and
highways of our nation. Unfortunately, drivers
over the age of 65 have the second highest
accident and motor vehicle death rate of any
driver except teens. In addition, increasing
numbers of older adults will suffer from
Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders.
However, there
is no universally accepted standard for testing
and verifying the older drivers’ ability to
safely operate his or her motor vehicle, short
of an on-road driving test.
Researchers
propose that functional neuroimaging utilizing
MRI imaging technology may be one way to
evaluate the older driver in a uniform and
standardized manner. Brain activation response
while watching a driving video in an MRI scanner
may be one way to determine, in a safe,
controlled environment whether the older driver
has the physiologic capability to respond to
hazardous situations presented on a driving
video.
In this study,
the cognitive components related to driving and
detecting road hazards were evaluated. The
findings identified distinct brain regions that
are associated with the recognition of a hazard.
The assessment of activity in these areas could
be a way, in the future, to screen senior
drivers who are capable or not of driving
safely.
