MS Speaks

Multiple Sclerosis => THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF BEING MULTIPLY SCLEROSED => Topic started by: agate on August 08, 2017, 07:03:13 am

Title: (Abst.) On-road assessment of fitness-to-drive in PwMS w/cognitive impairment
Post by: agate on August 08, 2017, 07:03:13 am
From PubMed, August 8, 2017:

BVMTR-IR = Brief Visuospatial Memory Test



Quote
Mult Scler. 2017 Aug 1:1352458517723991.

On-road assessment of fitness-to-drive in persons with MS with cognitive impairment: A prospective study

Morrow SA1, Classen S2, Monahan M3, Danter T4, Taylor R5, Krasniuk S6, Rosehart H1, He W5.

Author information

1
Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, London Health Sciences Center, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
2
School of Occupational Therapy, Western University, London, ON, Canada/Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
3
School of Occupational Therapy, Western University, London, ON, Canada/The Driver Rehabilitation Institute, Santa Rosa, CA, USA.
4
School of Occupational Therapy, Western University, London, ON, Canada/All Dominion Driver Training and Traffic Education Centres Limited, Oakville, ON, Canada.
5
Department of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
6
School of Occupational Therapy, Western University, London, ON, Canada.

BACKGROUND:


Cognitive impairment is common in multiple sclerosis (MS). In other populations, cognitive impairment is known to affect fitness-to-drive. Few studies have focused on fitness-to-drive in MS and no studies have solely focused on the influence of cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVE:

To assess fitness-to-drive in persons with MS with cognitive impairment and low physical disability.

METHODS:

Persons with MS, aged 18-59 years with EDSS ⩽ 4.0, impaired processing speed, and impairment on at least one measure of memory or executive function, were recruited. Cognition was assessed using the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Function battery. A formal on-road driving assessment was conducted. Chi-square analysis examined the association between the fitness-to-drive (pass/fail) and the neuropsychological test results (normal/impaired). Bayesian statistics predicting failure of the on-road assessment were calculated.

RESULTS:

Of 36 subjects, eight (22.2%) were unfit to drive. Only the BVMTR-IR, measuring visual-spatial memory, predicted on-road driving assessment failure ( X2 ( df = 1, N = 36) = 3.956; p = 0.047) with a sensitivity of 100%, but low specificity (35.7%) due to false positives (18/25).

CONCLUSION:

In persons with MS and impaired processing speed, impairment on the BVMTR-IR should lead clinicians to address fitness-to-drive.

The abstract can be seen here (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28782411).