DRIVING IN DEMENTIA: ADVANCES IN RESEARCH AND CLINICAL APPROACHES.: Session 414

Abstract

Abstract Driving in dementia, even in early stages, is associated with an increased risk of impairment in skills needed to operate a motor vehicle. These skills deteriorate over time, and lead to an increased risk of motor vehicle collision. Many patients with mild dementia may be safe to drive before their disease progresses, and it is challenging to predict when driving becomes unsafe. Driving cessation is associated with increased dependence, emergence of significant depressive symptoms, and mortality. The purpose of this symposium is to discuss recent advances in research and clinical approaches to assessing driving risk in dementia, planning driving cessation before it becomes too late, and minimizing the adverse consequences of cessation. Dr. Kennedy will discuss clinical approaches for geriatric psychiatrists assessing and guiding driving among patients with dementia, highlighting his own approach with case material. Dr. Carr will summarize research pertaining to the associations between amyloid biomarkers on brain imaging and CSF and driving cessation and on-road driving performance among older adults with normal cognition and mild cognitive impairment. Dr. Rapoport will discuss recent developments in practice guidelines pertaining to dementia and driving. He will review the limitations of the literature on driving cessation interventions to date for older adults, and will introduce an empirically-based framework and toolkit for assisting older drivers with dementia and their family caregivers through the driving cessation process. A panel discussion with attendees will address the complexities of these issues, and will provide clinical guidance of balancing the risks, and discuss future directions for research in this area.