ABSTRACT
Our research group has previously demonstrated that the peripheral motion contrast threshold (PMCT) test predicts older drivers' self-report accident risk, as well as simulated driving performance. However, the PMCT is too lengthy to be a part of a battery of tests to assess fitness to drive. Therefore, we have developed a new version of this test, which takes under two minutes to administer. We assessed the motion contrast thresholds of 24 younger drivers (19-32) and 25 older drivers (65-83) with both the PMCT-10min and the PMCT-2min test and investigated if thresholds were associated with measures of simulated driving performance. Younger participants had significantly lower motion contrast thresholds than older participants and there were no significant correlations between younger participants' thresholds and any measures of driving performance. The PMCT-10min and the PMCT-2min thresholds of older drivers' predicted simulated crash risk, as well as the minimum distance of approach to all hazards. This suggests that our tests of motion processing can help predict the risk of collision or near collision in older drivers. Thresholds were also correlated with the total lane deviation time, suggesting a deficiency in processing of peripheral flow and delayed detection of adjacent cars. The PMCT-2min is an improved version of a previously validated test, and it has the potential to help assess older drivers' fitness to drive.
Subject(s)
Accident Prevention/methods , Aged/physiology , Automobile Driver Examination , Motion Perception/physiology , Adult , Age Factors , Aged, 80 and over , Automobile Driving , Dangerous Behavior , Differential Threshold , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Physical Fitness , Predictive Value of Tests , Risk Assessment , Young AdultABSTRACT
Investigamos o efeito da idade, sexo, estado clínico e psiquiátrico de 291 pacientes com distúrbios do sono em relaçäo a queixas identificadas por breve questionário de sintomas somáticos. Em relaçäo ao sexo, diferenças significativas foram evidenciadas para os quatro grupos da lista de queixas (Tabela 1): inespecíficos (itens 2, 5, 6 7 e 12), específicos (itens 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 e 11), total (itens 1 a 12) e total geral (total + itens 13, 14 e 15). Mulheres referiram mais sintomas que os homens. A idade mostrou impacto nos grupos inespecífico e total. Pacientes moços queixaram-se mais que idosos. Pacientes com sintomas psiquiátricos identificaram-se principalmente com o grupo inespecífico. Os resultados da análise regressiva foram evidenciados pela análise ANOVA. Ao se comparar insônia vs hipersônica vs outros problemas do sono juntos, näo se demonstrou relaçäo evidente com qualquer dos grupos de queixas somáticas. Os resultados alertam para os problemas potenciais que podem resultar quando os dois sexos säo agrupados com o propósito de identificaçäo do tipo de distúrbios do sono por meio de questionários auto-administrados
