Cognitive capacity and driving competence:studies for normal elderly adults and people with mild cognitive impairment

Naoko Kawano¹⁾²⁾

¹⁾Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University
²⁾Research Team for Promoting Independence of the Elderly, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology

Driving is a specialized and complex action that requires the use of extensive cognitive abilities. Age-related change of cognition and mild cognitive impairment, such as symptoms caused by Alzheimer's disease, may influence driving. Actually, fatal motor vehicle crash rates (per miles driven) show a U-shape curve with the highest rates among the youngest and oldest drivers. However, as a group, older drivers are typically safe. We need to develop approaches which draw a general framework for evaluating elderly driver fitness relies upon a functional assessment.

Address correspondence to Dr. Naoko Kawano, Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University (65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya-shi 466-8550, Japan)