On the road again after traumatic brain injury: driver safety and behaviour following on-road assessment and rehabilitation

Return to Driving Following Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A TBI Model System Longitudinal Investigation

OBJECTIVE

To examine longitudinal patterns of return to driving (RTD), driving habits, and crash rates associated with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

SETTING

Eight TBI Model System sites.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults (N = 334) with TBI that required inpatient acute rehabilitation with follow-up of 197 and 218 at 1 and 2 years post-injury, respectively. Data collection at 2 years occurred almost exclusively during the pandemic, which may have affected results.

DESIGN

Longitudinal and observational.

MAIN MEASURES

Driving survey completed during rehabilitation and at phone follow-up 1 and 2 years after injury.

RESULTS

The rate of RTD was 65% at 1-year follow-up and 70% at 2-year follow-up. RTD at both follow-up time points was positively associated with family income. The frequency of driving and distance driven were diminished compared to before injury. Limitation of challenging driving situations (heavy traffic, bad weather, and at night) was reported at higher rates post-injury than before injury. Crash rates were 14.9% in the year prior to injury (excluding crashes that resulted in TBI), 9.9% in the first year post-injury, and 6% during the second year.

CONCLUSION

RTD is common after TBI, although driving may be limited in terms of frequency, distance driven, and avoiding challenging situations compared to before injury. Incidence of crashes is higher than population-based statistics; however, those who sustain TBI may be at higher risk even prior to injury. Future work is needed to better identify characteristics that influence the likelihood of crashes post-TBI.

Crash Risk Following Return to Driving After Moderate-to-Severe TBI: A TBI Model Systems Study

OBJECTIVE

To examine motor vehicle crash frequency and risk factors following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

SETTING

Eight TBI Model Systems sites. Participants: Adults ( N = 438) with TBI who required inpatient acute rehabilitation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional, observational design.

MAIN MEASURES

Driving survey completed at phone follow-up 1 to 30 years after injury.

RESULTS

TBI participants reported 1.5 to 2.5 times the frequency of crashes noted in the general population depending on the time frame queried, even when accounting for unreported crashes. Most reported having no crashes; for those who experienced a crash, half of them reported a single incident. Based on logistic regression, age at survey, years since injury, and perception of driving skills were significantly associated with crashes.

CONCLUSION

Compared with national statistics, crash risk is higher following TBI based on self-report. Older age and less time since resuming driving were associated with lower crash risk. When driving was resumed was not associated with crash risk. These results do not justify restricting people from driving after TBI, given that the most who resumed driving did not report experiencing any crashes. However, there is a need to identify and address factors that increase crash risk after TBI.

Different brain activation patterns in the prefrontal area between self-paced and high-speed driving tasks

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects on prefrontal cortex brain activity when participants attempted to stop a car accurately at a stop line when driving at different speeds using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twenty healthy subjects with driving experience drove their own cars for a distance of 60 m five times each at their own pace or as fast as possible. The variation in the distance between the stop line and the car was not significantly different between the self-paced and high-speed tasks. However, oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the prefrontal cortex was significantly higher in the high-speed task than in the self-paced task. These findings suggest that driving at high speed requires more divided attention than driving at self-paced speed, even though the participants were able to stop the car at the same distance from the target. This study shows the advantages and usefulness of fNIRS .

Return-to-driving following acquired brain injury: A neuropsychological perspective

BACKGROUND

Return to driving after an acquired brain injury (ABI) has been positively associated with return to employment, maintenance of social relationships, and engagement in recreational and other community activities. Safe driving involves multiple cognitive abilities in a dynamic environment, and cognitive dysfunction resulting from ABI can negatively impact driving performance.

OBJECTIVE

This manuscript examines the post-injury return-to-driving process, including performances on the in-office and on-road assessments, and the role of a rehabilitation neuropsychologist in helping patients resume driving.

METHOD

In this study, 39 of 200 individuals (approximately 20%) treated at an outpatient neurorehabilitation facility, who performed satisfactorily on a pre-driving cognitive screening, completed a behind-the-wheel driving test.

RESULTS

Of the 200 individuals, 34 (87%) passed the road test. Among the remaining five individuals who did not pass the road test, primary reasons for their failure included inability to follow or retain examiner directions primarily about lane position, speed, and vehicle control. The errors were attributable to cognitive difficulties with information processing, memory, attention regulation, and dual tasking.CONCLUSIONThe rehabilitation neuropsychologist contributed to the process by assessing cognition, facilitating self-awareness and error minimization, providing education about driving regulations and safety standards, and preparing for the road test and its outcomes.

Driving patterns, confidence, and perception of abilities following moderate to severe traumatic brain injury: a TBI model system study

OBJECTIVE

Describe driving patterns following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants: Adults (N = 438) with TBI that required inpatient acute rehabilitation who had resumed driving.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional, observational design.

SETTING

Eight TBI Model System sites.

MAIN MEASURES

A driving survey was completed at phone follow-up.

RESULTS

Most respondents reported driving daily, although 41% reported driving less than before their injury. Driving patterns were primarily associated with employment, family income, sex, residence, and time since injury, but not injury severity. Confidence in driving was high for most participants and was associated with a perception that the TBI had not diminished driving ability. Lower confidence and perceived loss of ability were associated with altered driving patterns.

CONCLUSION

Most people with moderate-to-severe TBI resume driving but perhaps not at pre-injury or normal levels compared to healthy drivers. Some driving situations are restricted. The relationship between low confidence/perceived loss of ability and driving patterns/restrictions suggests people with TBI are exhibiting some degree of caution consistent with those perceptions. Careful assessment of driving skills and monitoring during early stages of RTD is warranted, particularly for younger, male, and/or single drivers who express higher levels of confidence.

Driving Behaviors 2-3 Years After Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation: A Multicenter Case-Control Study

Introduction: Driving an automobile is an important activity for the social participation of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Return to safe driving is usually addressed during rehabilitation, but we know little about driving behaviors in the years following TBI rehabilitation.

Objective: To explore self-reported and objective (official driving records) post-rehabilitation driving behaviors and offenses in individuals with TBI: (a) having passed a driving evaluation, (b) who did not undergo a driving evaluation, and (c) non-injured controls.

Methods: Cross-sectional design with 162 adults: (a) 48 participants with mild, moderate, or severe TBI whose drivers' license was suspended and reinstated following a driving evaluation during rehabilitation (TBI-DE; M = 42.2 years of age, SD = 11.5); (b) 24 participants with TBI who maintained their driving privileges without undergoing a driving evaluation (TBI-NE; M = 36.5 years of age, SD = 9.9); (c) 90 non-injured controls (M = 43.8 years of age, SD = 11.4). Participants with TBI were recruited from seven rehabilitation centers, 2–3 years after the end of rehabilitation in the province of Quebec, Canada. During a telephone interview, data were obtained regarding self-reported driving: (a) habits; (b) self-efficacy; (c) anger expression; (d) sensation-seeking; (e) violations/errors; (f) accidents, driving offenses, and demerit points for the two-year interval predating the study. Objective data for driving offenses, accidents, and demerit points were obtained from the automobile regulatory body for the same period and for the two-year interval before the injury for the TBI groups.

Results: Compared to non-injured controls, the TBI-DE group reported significantly lower scores for self-reported verbal aggressive expression of anger and driving violations/errors. Conversely, their official driving records showed significantly more demerit points for the last 2 years, and a significantly higher frequency of serious post-rehabilitation accidents (10), compared to the TBI-NE group (one) and the control group (none). Compared to pre-injury levels, individuals with TBI had significantly more demerit points post-rehabilitation.

Conclusions: Individuals with TBI may underestimate risky driving behaviors even if they have been deemed fit to drive. Reduced self-awareness, memory, and dysexecutive problems following TBI could influence self-report of driving behaviors and explain discrepancies between self-reported and objective driving-related behaviors. Recommendations for research and practice are provided.

Risk of Motor Vehicle Collision or Driving Impairment After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Collaborative International Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize knowledge of the risk of motor vehicle collision (MVC) following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and the associated risk of driving impairment, as measured by on-road tests, computerized simulators, and self-reported or state-recorded driving records.

METHODS

Our international team searched 7 databases for studies published between 1990 and 2015 of people with TBI, controls, and data concerning either MVC or driving impairment. The included articles examined the risk of MVC among people with TBI; we excluded studies that examined the risk of having a TBI associated with being involved in an MVC.

RESULTS

From 13 578 search results, we included 8 studies involving 1663 participants with TBI and 4796 controls. We found no significant difference in the risk of MVC (odds ratio = 1.24, 95% confidence interval = 0.80-1.91, P = .34). When we restricted the analysis to self-report, the risk of MVC was higher for those without a TBI (odds ratio = 1.63, 95% confidence interval = 1.21-2.22, P = .002). In contrast, participants with TBI consistently performed worse during on-road assessments and had more problems with vehicular control.

CONCLUSION

Limitations of reviewed studies included small sample sizes, failure to specify TBI severity or time postinjury, and absence of objective measures of risk. Findings concerning the relationship between TBIs from non-MVC causes and crash risk are, therefore, inconclusive and do not provide evidence for major changes to existing clinical guidelines for driving with TBI.

Using Naturalistic Methods to Examine Real-World Driving Behavior in Individuals With TBI Upon Return to Driving: A Pilot Study

OBJECTIVES

To characterize the real-world driving habits of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) using naturalistic methods and to demonstrate the feasibility of such methods in exploring return to driving after TBI.

METHODS

After passing an on-road driving assessment, 8 participants with TBI and 23 matched controls had an in-vehicle device installed to record information regarding their driving patterns (distance, duration, and start/end times) for 90 days.

RESULTS

The overall number of trips, distance and duration or percentage of trips during peak hour, above 15 km from home or on freeways/highways did not differ between groups. However, the TBI group drove significantly less at night, and more during the daytime, than controls. Exploratory analyses using geographic information system (GIS) also demonstrated significant within-group heterogeneity for the TBI group in terms of location of travel.

CONCLUSIONS

The TBI and control groups were largely comparable in terms of driving exposure, except for when they drove, which may indicate small group differences in driving self-regulatory practices. However, the GIS evidence suggests driving patterns within the TBI group were heterogeneous. These findings provide evidence for the feasibility of employing noninvasive in-car recording devices to explore real-world driving behavior post-TBI.

Development of a simple driving simulator and determination of the reference range of normative performance

OBJECTIVE

To establish the reference range for assessment items of the 'Simple Driving Simulator' (SiDS) in a normative population and to compare performance of age-matched young adults with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) to this reference data.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Normative ranges were calculated from the data of 445 participants in the control group. Three performance ranges were established: 'normal', 'borderline' and 'impaired' defined using standard deviation cutoff values in the control group. The performance of 28 patients with a TBI, aged 18-35 years, was evaluated. The performance score for the TBI group in the 'impaired range' was calculated for each test item and used to make a synthetic judgment regarding the clinical value of the SiDS.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

In the control group, only 0.6% of the participants exhibited a performance in the impaired range on >2 items, compared to 33.2% for the TBI group.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide evidence that impaired performance on ≤2 items of the SiDS provides a sensitive criterion of 'driving fitness' in young adults after a TBI.

Driving After Adolescent Concussion: Advice From Nurse Practitioners in the Absence of Standardized Recommendations

INTRODUCTION

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are authorized to manage concussion recovery. Common adolescent activities, like driving, are omitted from guidelines. We investigated NP driving guidance and its clinical basis for restriction or limitation following adolescent concussion.

METHOD

NPs completed a web-based questionnaire after viewing a scripted video scenario of an adolescent describing symptoms of concussion occurring 72 hours prior. Driving recommendations were collected using an open-ended query, then coded and categorized by type, characteristic, and basis.

RESULTS

1,051 (20%) responded to the question of interest. The majority (93.8%) provided driving recommendations: 32.6% based on time, 49.8% based on symptoms, and 28.5% based on health care utilization. 5.3% mentioned fatigue and sleep symptoms. 1% advised use of a standardized assessment tool.

DISCUSSION

Symptomatology, examination, and time were key factors in clinical decision-making for post-concussion driving, rather than use of standardized tools. Persistent symptoms that can impact driving, such as sleep and visual disturbances, may warrant consideration.

Evidence Based Review of Fitness-to-Drive and Return-to-Driving Following Traumatic Brain Injury

The purpose of this study was to conduct an evidence-based review to determine predictors of fitness to drive and return to driving in persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Relevant databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS) were searched for primary articles published before June 2016 using MeSH search terms. Using the American Academy of Neurology’s classification criteria, 24 articles were included after reviewing 1998 articles. Studies were rated by class (I–IV), with I being the highest level of evidence. Articles were classified according to TBI severity, as well as types of assessments (on-road, simulator and surveys). There were no Class I studies. Based on Class II studies, only Post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) duration was found to be probably predictive of on-road driving performance. There is limited evidence concerning predictors of return to driving. The findings suggest further evidence is needed to identify predictors of on-road driving performance in persons with TBI. Class I studies reporting Level A recommendations for definitive predictors of driving performance in drivers with TBI are needed by policy makers and clinicians to develop evidence-based guidelines.