SAFE-Drivers Study

 

Very little is currently being done about evaluating driving safety in the elderly, in general, and in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia, in particular.  The goal of this study is to determine methods to evaluate driving safety in individuals with MCI and dementia as well as in healthy elderly individuals, so that safe drivers can continue to drive and unsafe drivers transition to passengers.  This study is funded by a grant from the Alzheimer’s Association.

Who is eligible to participate?

Participants in the SAFE-Drivers Study must:

• Have: (1) early Alzheimer’s disease or other causes of dementia; OR (2) MCI; OR (3) no known cognitive or memory difficulty
• Be between 55 and 95 years of age
• Drive at least one time each week
• Have a reliable caregiver or close relative who can accompany the participant to at least one clinic visit and answer questions about the participant. The caregiver must either live with the study participant or see him/her at least 5 days per week.

What happens at the visits?

Study participants are asked to attend 2 study visits:

1. During the first visit you will be given office-based tests of attention, reaction time, problem-solving, and memory, as well as other measures of vision and movement.
2. The second will be a one-hour on-the-road driving evaluation, starting in a large safe parking lot in a suburb of Boston and conducted by a trained driving instructor.

All examinations and the driving test are free of charge and participants will be reimbursed for travel and parking expenses.

Where is the study taking place?

Boston University Medical Center

How can I find out more?

For more information on how to participate in this or other studies, please contact Linda Snyder by phone at 617-638-5619 or lmsnyder@bu.edu.

Elderly Driving in the News

• WGBH TV — Greater Boston with Emily Rooney, 6/30/09: “Lawmakers debate testing for elderly drivers,” featuring Dr. Stern
• WBUR, 6/23/09: “Too old to drive? When it’s time to surrender the keys,” featuring Dr. Stern
• Patriot Ledger, 6/16/09: “Sen. Joyce’s bill to road test elderly drivers ‘doesn’t go far enough,’ a BU medical professor says,” featuring Dr. Stern

Key Personnel

• Robert A. Stern, PhD – Principal Investigator; Co-Director, Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical and Research Program; Co-Director, Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy; Acting Director, BU ADC Clinical Core
• Brandon Gavett, PhD – Neuropsychologist
• Linda Snyder, MA – Study Coordinator
• Patricia Johnson – Psychometrist