Visual Attention Deficits are Associated with Driving Accidents in Cognitively-Impaired HIV-Infected Individuals

Previous research has found HIV-associated neuropsychological (NP) dysfunction to be associated with impaired driving skills. To determine whether specific impairments in visual attention impart an increased accident risk, we assessed 21 HIV seronegative (HIV-) and 42 seropositive (HIV+) participant...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology 2006-01, Vol.28 (1), p.13-28
Main Authors: Marcotte, Thomas D., Lazzaretto, Deborah, Cobb Scott, J., Roberts, Erica, Woods, Steven P., Letendre, Scott, the HNRC Group
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents, Aviation - statistics & numerical data
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - physiopathology
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition Disorders - etiology
Female
HIV Infections - complications
Humans
Likelihood Functions
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data
Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychometrics
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Risk
Sensitivity and Specificity
Vision Disorders - physiopathology
Visual Fields - physiology
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Summary:Previous research has found HIV-associated neuropsychological (NP) dysfunction to be associated with impaired driving skills. To determine whether specific impairments in visual attention impart an increased accident risk, we assessed 21 HIV seronegative (HIV-) and 42 seropositive (HIV+) participants on NP tests and the Useful Field of View (UFOV), a computerized test of visual attention. HIV+ participants performed significantly worse than the HIV- participants on the UFOV, particularly on the Divided Attention subtest. Poor UFOV performance was associated with higher accident rates in the past year, with a trend for NP impairment to also predict more accidents. The highest number of accidents occurred in the group with a "high risk" UFOV designation and NP impairment; this category correctly classified 93% of HIV+ participants as to who did, and did not, have an accident. Clinicians should attend to visual attention as well as general cognitive status in estimating which patients are at risk for impaired driving.
ISSN:1380-3395
1744-411X
DOI:10.1080/13803390490918048