Effect of Chronic Nonmalignant Pain on Highway Driving Performance

Most pain patients are treated in an outpatient setting and are engaged in daily activities including driving. Since several studies showed that cognitive functioning may be impaired in chronic nonmalignant pain, the question arises as to whether or not chronic nonmalignant pain affects driving performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effects of chronic nonmalignant pain on actual highway driving performance during normal traffic. 14 patients with chronic nonmalignant pain and 14 healthy controls, matched on age, educational level, and driving experience, participated in the study. Participants performed a standardized on-the-road driving test during normal traffic, on a primary highway. The primary parameter of the driving test is the Standard Deviation of Lateral Position (SDLP). In addition, driving-related skills (tracking, divided attention, and memory) were examined in the laboratory. Subjective assessments, such as pain intensity, and subjective driving quality, were rated on visual analog scales. The results demonstrate that a subset of chronic nonmalignant pain patients had SDLPs that were higher than the matched healthy controls, indicating worse highway driving performance. Overall, there was a statistically significant difference in highway driving performance between the groups. Further, chronic nonmalignant pain patients rated their subjective driving quality to be normal, although their ratings were significantly lower than those of the healthy controls. No significant effects were found on the laboratory tests.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03043959
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from Elsevier
• Authors:
  • Veldhuijzen, Dieuwke S
  • van Wijck, A J M
  • Wille, F
  • Verster, J C
  • Kenemans, J L
  • Kalkman, C J
  • Olivier, B
  • Volkerts, Edmund R
• Publication Date: 2006-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 28-35
• Serial:
  • Pain
  • Volume: 122
  • Issue Number: 1-2
  • Publisher: Wolters Kluwer
  • ISSN: 0304-3959
  • EISSN: 1872-6623
  • Serial URL: http://journals.lww.com/pain/pages/default.aspx

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention; Attention lapses; Automobile driving; Behavior; Crash causes; Driving tests; High risk drivers; Highway safety; Impaired drivers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Activities of daily living; Cognitive functioning; Driving performance; Pain
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01053702
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 5 2007 4:25PM