Parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adults
Abstract Leukoaraiosis, a common ischaemic lesion diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can influence driving safety performance (DSP). Most older drivers with leukoaraiosis are unaware of their affliction. Japan is a super-aged country, where preventing accidents caused by older drivers...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25899-4 |
| _version_ | 1797980178792579072 |
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| author | Hikaru Oba Kaechang Park Fumio Yamashita Shinichi Sato |
| author_facet | Hikaru Oba Kaechang Park Fumio Yamashita Shinichi Sato |
| author_sort | Hikaru Oba |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Leukoaraiosis, a common ischaemic lesion diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can influence driving safety performance (DSP). Most older drivers with leukoaraiosis are unaware of their affliction. Japan is a super-aged country, where preventing accidents caused by older drivers is an urgent national issue. We investigated the subcortical and periventricular leukoaraiosis regions that were most involved in DSP decline. The driving skills of 101 drivers (49 men, 52 women; mean age, 77.88 ± 3.77 years) without dementia were assessed by official driving instructors, using actual vehicles on a closed-circuit course. Parietal and occipital (but not frontal or temporal) leukoaraiosis volumes were significantly correlated with decreased DSP scores regardless of age, especially when turning right at intersections, which needs more attention than turning left because left-side driving is legally enforced in Japan. Occipital leukoaraiosis was also involved via a decline in dynamic visual cognitive function. MRI-based assessment of leukoaraiosis volume and localisation may enable the identification of older drivers prone to DSP deterioration. Risk factors for leukoaraiosis include smoking and lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension. Thus, brain healthcare in patients with MRI-diagnosed leukoaraiosis may be particularly useful for the risk management of traffic accidents caused by the elderly in Japan. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:50:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6d5e18124e54600a6de14dddbf52ae8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:50:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6d5e18124e54600a6de14dddbf52ae82022-12-22T04:42:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-12-0112111010.1038/s41598-022-25899-4Parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adultsHikaru Oba0Kaechang Park1Fumio Yamashita2Shinichi Sato3Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hirosaki UniversityTraffic Medicine Laboratory, Research Organization for Regional Alliance, Kochi University of TechnologyDivision of Ultrahigh Field MRI, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Iwate Medical UniversityGraduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka UniversityAbstract Leukoaraiosis, a common ischaemic lesion diagnosed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), can influence driving safety performance (DSP). Most older drivers with leukoaraiosis are unaware of their affliction. Japan is a super-aged country, where preventing accidents caused by older drivers is an urgent national issue. We investigated the subcortical and periventricular leukoaraiosis regions that were most involved in DSP decline. The driving skills of 101 drivers (49 men, 52 women; mean age, 77.88 ± 3.77 years) without dementia were assessed by official driving instructors, using actual vehicles on a closed-circuit course. Parietal and occipital (but not frontal or temporal) leukoaraiosis volumes were significantly correlated with decreased DSP scores regardless of age, especially when turning right at intersections, which needs more attention than turning left because left-side driving is legally enforced in Japan. Occipital leukoaraiosis was also involved via a decline in dynamic visual cognitive function. MRI-based assessment of leukoaraiosis volume and localisation may enable the identification of older drivers prone to DSP deterioration. Risk factors for leukoaraiosis include smoking and lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension. Thus, brain healthcare in patients with MRI-diagnosed leukoaraiosis may be particularly useful for the risk management of traffic accidents caused by the elderly in Japan.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25899-4 |
| spellingShingle | Hikaru Oba Kaechang Park Fumio Yamashita Shinichi Sato Parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adults Scientific Reports |
| title | Parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adults |
| title_full | Parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adults |
| title_fullStr | Parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adults |
| title_short | Parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adults |
| title_sort | parietal and occipital leukoaraiosis due to cerebral ischaemic lesions decrease the driving safety performance of healthy older adults |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25899-4 |
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