The drive-wise project: driving simulator training increases real driving performance in healthy older drivers

Gianclaudio Casutt¹, Nathan Theill², Mike Martin³, Martin Keller⁴, Lutz Jäncke⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Division of Gerontopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; International Normal Aging and Plasticity Research Centre Zurich Zurich, Schwitzerland.
² Division of Psychiatry Research, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland.
³ University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Center for Gerontology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Department of Neurology, Rehabilitation Centre Valens Valens, Switzerland.
⁵ Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; International Normal Aging and Plasticity Research Centre Zurich Zurich, Schwitzerland ; University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 24860497
PMCID: PMC4026721
DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00085

The drive-wise project: driving simulator training increases real driving performance in healthy older drivers

Gianclaudio Casutt et al. Front Aging Neurosci. 2014.

. 2014 May 13:6:85.

doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00085. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Gianclaudio Casutt¹, Nathan Theill², Mike Martin³, Martin Keller⁴, Lutz Jäncke⁵

Affiliations

¹ Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Division of Gerontopsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; International Normal Aging and Plasticity Research Centre Zurich Zurich, Schwitzerland.
² Division of Psychiatry Research, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland.
³ University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Center for Gerontology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland.
⁴ Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Department of Neurology, Rehabilitation Centre Valens Valens, Switzerland.
⁵ Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; International Normal Aging and Plasticity Research Centre Zurich Zurich, Schwitzerland ; University Research Priority Program "Dynamics of Healthy Aging," University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland ; Department of Special Education, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 24860497
PMCID: PMC4026721
DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2014.00085

Abstract

Background: Age-related cognitive decline is often associated with unsafe driving behavior. We hypothesized that 10 active training sessions in a driving simulator increase cognitive and on-road driving performance. In addition, driving simulator training should outperform cognitive training.

Methods: Ninety-one healthy active drivers (62-87 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) a driving simulator training group, (2) an attention training group (vigilance and selective attention), or (3) a control group. The main outcome variables were on-road driving and cognitive performance. Seventy-seven participants (85%) completed the training and were included in the analyses. Training gains were analyzed using a multiple regression analysis with planned orthogonal comparisons.

Results: The driving simulator-training group showed an improvement in on-road driving performance compared to the attention-training group. In addition, both training groups increased cognitive performance compared to the control group.

Conclusion: Driving simulator training offers the potential to enhance driving skills in older drivers. Compared to the attention training, the simulator training seems to be a more powerful program for increasing older drivers' safety on the road.

Keywords: cognitive performance; cognitive training; driving simulator; on-road driving performance; training effects.

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Figures

**Figure 1**
**Still photo of the used driving simulator**.

**Figure 2**
**Graphical illustration of a driving simulator scenario showing a town traffic situation (level 2, nice weather)**.

**Figure 3**
**Group means of overall on-road performance before and after participation broken down for the three groups**. Error bars in plots indicate the standard error of the mean. Please note dimension is arbitrary. *Note: n.s.*, not significant; ^* < 0.05.

**Figure 4**
**Group means of overall cognitive performance before and after participation broken down for the three groups**. Error bars in plots indicate the standard error of the mean. Please note dimension is arbitrary. *Note: n.s.*, not significant; ^** < 0.01.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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The drive-wise project: driving simulator training increases real driving performance in healthy older drivers

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The drive-wise project: driving simulator training increases real driving performance in healthy older drivers

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