| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Published Abstract | | Title: Visual attention and driving accidents in HIV infection. | | Authors: Marcotte TD, Roberts E, Heaton RK, Bentley H, Lazzaretto D, Woods SP, Grant I, and the HNRC Group | | Year: 2004 | | Publication: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society | | Volume: 10 Issue: Suppl S1 Pages: 47 | | Abstract:The impact of visual attention deficits on “real world” functioning in HIV-infected (HIV
+) individuals is not well understood. The Useful Field of View (UFOV), a computerized
measure assessing processing speed (PS), divided attention (DA), and selective attention (SA),
requires sub- jects to attend to central objects while remaining vigilant to objects in the periphery.
Reduced UFOV has been associated with poor driving performance in the elderly and neurologic
populations. The aim of the current study was to determine the relationship between attentional
im- pairments and on-road driving performance within an HIV-infected cohort. Sixty-four
subjects (43 HIV+ and 21 HIV-), all of whom had driven an automobile in the last year,
completed a neuropsychological (NP) battery, the UFOV and a driving history questionnaire.
Twenty of the HIV+ participants were NP impaired, as was one HIV- participant. 10 subjects had
a total of 19 accidents. Drivers identified as “high risk” by UFOV (n = 6, all HIV+) had a
significantly higher number of acci- dents in the prior year, even after adjusting for miles driven
(p = .02). Among HIV+ participants, UFOV, NP performance, and the interaction were
significant predictors of accidents in the prior year (R2= .45). NP impaired/UFOV “high risk”
subjects had the highest number of acci- dents. Poor performance on PS and DA were
independently associated with recent accident history. These findings suggest that HIV+ individuals
with significant impairments in processing speed and divided at- tention, particularly in the
context of other NP dysfunction, may be at increased risk for automobile accidents. |
return to publications listing
|