Study Finds Link Between Cognitive Function And Crash Risk

Older drivers with lower levels of cognitive function are more likely to be involved in a crash, a study said.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2018 ) :Older drivers with lower levels of cognitive function are more likely to be involved in a crash, a study said. Researchers have a history of studying driver safety in older adults after they have been diagnosed with dementia, a decline in memory and other mental abilities that make daily living difficult,reported health news.

The researchers,in this study, have focused on links between levels of cognitive function and crash risk among older drivers without dementia over a 14-year study period. They also assessed the link between changes in cognitive function over time and later risks of crashes.

The researchers used information from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study, an ongoing study of adults aged 65 and older. The researchers linked ACT data from 2002 to 2015 to the Washington State crash database and to information from the Washington State Department of Licensing.

ACT participants were tested for their ability to think and make decisions. Researchers followed 2,615 participants for an average of 6.7 years or until they dropped out of ACT, died, were diagnosed with dementia, or failed to renew their license.

The researchers then looked at motor vehicle crashes involving ACT participants. They included all crashes resulting in injury, death, or property damage totaling at least $1,000. For older licensed drivers without dementia, lower levels of cognitive function were linked to a higher risk of motor vehicle crashes.

Depression also was linked to a higher risk for crashes in older licensed drivers without dementia,they added.