EFFECTS OF AGE AND HEMIANOPIC VISUAL-FIELD LOSS ON DRIVING

Purpose. With the use of an interactive driving simulator, we examined the driving performance of older patients with either homonymous or quadrantic hemianopsia with primarily occipital lobe damage resulting from cerebrovascular accidents (CVA's). Methods. We compared the performance of these patients with that of a normally sighted, age-similar control group and that of a normally sighted younger group. Results. The driving performance of the patients was either worse than, or similar to, that of the older control group; all of the older individuals (both patients and normally sighted subjects) had worse performance than the younger group. Conclusions. Age-related effects combined with the effects of visual field losses in older patients with cerebrovascular accidents had a negative impact on driving skills.