Objective: The aim of this study was to explore whether varying levels of operational and tactical driving task demand differentially affect drivers with Parkinson's disease (PD) and control drivers in their sign recall.
Methods: Study participants aged between 50 and 70 years included a group of drivers with PD (n = 10) and a group of age- and sex-matched control drivers (n = 10). Their performance in a sign recall task was measured using a driving simulator.
Results: Drivers in the control group performed better than drivers with PD in a sign recall task, but this trend was not statistically significant (P =.43). In addition, regardless of group membership, subjects' performance differed according to varying levels of task demand. Performance in the sign recall task was more likely to drop with increasing task demand (P =.03). This difference was significant when the variation in task demand was associated with a cognitive task; that is, when drivers were required to apply the instructions from working memory.
Conclusions: Although the conclusions drawn from this study are tentative, the evidence presented here is encouraging with regard to the use of a driving simulator to examine isolated cognitive functions underlying driving performance in PD. With an understanding of its limitations, such driving simulation in combination with functional assessment batteries measuring physical, visual, and cognitive abilities could comprise one component of a multitiered system to evaluate medical fitness to drive. 相似文献
Objective: Considering the high annual number of fatal driving accidents in Iran, any approach for reducing the number or severity of driving accidents is a positive step toward decreasing accident-related losses. Accidents can often be avoided by a timely reaction of the driver. One of the steps before reacting to a hazard is perception. Some driver characteristics may affect road hazard perception. In this research, it was assumed that various driver characteristics, including demographic characteristics and cognitive characteristics, have an impact on driver perception.
Methods: The driving simulator used in this research provides various scenarios; for example, passing a pedestrian or animal across the road or placing fixed objects in a 2-lane separated rural road for 2 groups of experienced and inexperienced drivers under day and night lighting conditions. The go/no-go test was carried out in order to assess drivers’ attention to driving tasks and inhibitory control. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to estimate the relation between driver characteristics and sensitivity to road hazard perception. A new hazard perception index was proposed based on the time intervals in the hazard vulnerability.
Results: The results show that the most effective variables in the analysis of sensitivity to hazard perception are driving experience (in kilometers) during the last 3 years and road lighting conditions. Moreover, hazard perception sensitivity was improved by better inhibitory control, selective attention, and decision making, more carefulness, the average amount of daily sleep, and marital status.
Conclusion: The results of this research may be useful in educating and advertising programs. It also could enhance sensitivity to perception of hazards such as pedestrians, animals, and fixed obstacles among young and novice drivers. 相似文献
UV/Fenton, near-UV-visible/Fenton, dark Fenton, and H2O2/UV reactions have been used to treat simulated dyehouse effluents representing wastewater from the textile dyeing and rinsing process. Experiments were carried out in a lab - scale photochemical reactor using concentrations of 0.5–25 mM H2O2, 0.04-0.5 mM Fe2+-ion and different dilutions of textile wastewater. To assess the extent of mineralization, decolourization kinetics and the effect of different fight sources on treatment efficiency, DOC, optical density at 254 nm and 600 nm wavelength and residual H2O2 concentrations were measured during the course of the advanced oxidation reactions. Comparative evaluation of the obtained results revealed that the decolourization rate increased with applied H2O2 and Fe2+-ion dose as well as the strength of the synthetic textile wastewater. The best results were obtained by the near - UV/visible/Fenton process with a decolourization rate constant of 1.57 min−1, a UV254nm reduction of 97% and a DOC removal of 41% at relatively low doses of the H2O2 oxidant and Fe2+-ion catalyst within 60 min treatment time. 相似文献