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On-Road Driving Assessment in a Driving School Course and the Results of a Cognitive Function Test After Stroke in a Depopulated Rural Area in Japan: Case Series of Eight Patients

Introduction Returning to driving after a stroke is a step toward independence and improving quality of life. Cognitive function after stroke is one of the essential factors that affect driving ability, and on-road driving assessment in driving school courses is beginning to spread in Japan. We star...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Sakamaki, Keita, Nishizawa, Shin, Katsuki, Masahito, Kawamura, Shin, Koh, Akihito
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Cureus 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8236213/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34211804
http://dx.doi.org/10.7759/cureus.15293
Descripción
Sumario:Introduction Returning to driving after a stroke is a step toward independence and improving quality of life. Cognitive function after stroke is one of the essential factors that affect driving ability, and on-road driving assessment in driving school courses is beginning to spread in Japan. We started on-road driving assessment in 2018, and we herein report eight patients who underwent on-road driving assessment in the last three years, presenting both off-road cognitive function tests and on-road driving assessment results. Methods Of the 320 consecutive stroke patients from 2018 to 2020, we retrospectively investigated the eight patients’ characteristics who underwent on-road driving assessment. We performed cognitive function tests, including behavioral inattention test (BIT), trail-making test, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III, and behavioral assessment of the dysexecutive syndrome. Patients who meet BIT > 35, at least three other subitem criteria, and no unevaluable subitems can undergo on-road driving assessment by a driving instructor. With the recommendation of the driving instructors, we comprehensively decided the permission to drive. Results All eight patients could return to driving after on-road driving assessment. Two patients could return to driving after nearly a year. Conclusion The patients did not meet all the cut-offs of the cognitive function test, but they were judged to return to driving by driving instructors. We finally permitted all eight patients to drive. On-road driving assessment in the driving school course might be helpful for determining the permission to return to driving.