Driving impairment in patients with movement disorders: examining the Baylor driving questionnaire by objective driving assessment

TL;DR

This study evaluates a questionnaire to identify driving impairment in patients with movement disorders using objective driving assessments.

Contribution

The study validates the Baylor Driving Questionnaire for Movement Disorders as a potential screening tool for driving impairment.

Findings

The BDQMD total score correlated with objective driving performance (r = -0.45, p = 0.025).

Patients with lower BDQMD scores showed better driving performance in objective assessments.

Abstract

•Driving is an essential skill for independence and daily convenience.•Several movement disorders can significantly impair driving ability.•Currently, there is no standardized questionnaire to screen patients for driving impairment.•This study evaluates the Baylor Driving Questionnaire in patients with movement disorders.

Driving is an essential skill for independence and daily convenience.

Several movement disorders can significantly impair driving ability.

Currently, there is no standardized questionnaire to screen patients for driving impairment.

This study evaluates the Baylor Driving Questionnaire in patients with movement disorders.

The development of a screening tool to identify driving impairment in patients with movement disorders is an unmet need.

To validate Baylor Driving Questionnaire for Movement Disorders (BDQMD) by objective driving assessment (ODA).

In this cross-sectional study, 142 patients with various movement disorders completed the 10-item BDQMD and of those, 25 completed ODA using the driver performance analysis system (DPAS).

The mean total BDQMD score for the whole cohort was 14.7 ± 5.6 (range 10–47). Patients who underwent ODA had a mean BDQMD score of 12.8 ± 2.9. Four had minimum driving skill, 20 had average, and 1 was highly skilled. Total BDQMD negatively correlated with overall DPAS score (r = -0.45, p = 0.025) and the score reflecting the traffic risk analysis (r = -0.41, p = 0.041).

BDQMD total score in this pilot study correlated well with the performance in ODA. Additional validation studies are warranted to explore its potential as a screening tool for driving impairment.

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