The association between Tai Chi exercise and safe driving performance among older adults： An observational study

Background: Age-related cognitive and physical decline can impair safe driving performance. Tai Chi exercise benefits cognitive and physical function and may influence safe driving performance in older adults. The primary aim of this observational study was to compare cognitive processes and physical function related to safe driving performance among older adult Tai Chi practitioners to normative reference values.Secondary aims were to examine relationships between Tai Chi exercise habits, cognitive processes, and physical function related to safe driving performance and to explore potential predictors of safe driving performance.Methods: The Driving Health Inventory, the Driving Scenes Test, other driving-related cognitive and physical measures, and self-reported measures including the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale(MAAS) and the Vitality Plus Scale(VPS) were collected from current Tai Chi practitioners(n = 58; age 72.9 ± 5.9 years, mean ± SD) with median >3 years Tai Chi practice.Results: Compared to normative reference values, participants performed better on numerous cognitive measures including the Driving Scenes Test(p < 0.001, d = 1.63), maze navigation(p = 0.017, d = 0.27), the Useful Field of View Test(p < 0.001, r = 0.15), and on physical measures including the Rapid Walk Test(p < 0.001, r = 0.20), and the Right Foot Tapping Test,(p < 0.001, r = 0.35). Participants scored higher than normative reference values on MAAS and VPS(p < 0.001, d = 0.75; p = 0.002, d = 0.38, respectively). Statistically significant correlations were found between several study measures. The digit span backward test was the strongest predictor of safe driving performance(β = 0.34,p = 0.009).Conclusion: Tai Chi exercise has the potential to impact cognitive processes and physical function related to safe driving performance. Further study using randomized controlled trials, structured Tai Chi exercise doses, and driving simulator or on-road driving performance as outcome measures are warranted.

Alcohol consumption for simulated driving performance： A systematic review

Purpose： Alcohol consumption can lead to risky driving and increase the frequency of traffic accidents, injuries and mortalities. The main purpose of our study was to compare simulated driving performance between two groups of drivers, one consumed alcohol and the other not consumed, using a systematic review. Methods： In this systematic review, electronic resources and databases including Medline via Ovid SP, EMBASE via Ovid SP, PsyclNFO via Ovid 5P, PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature （CINHAL） via EBSCOhost were comprehensively and systematically searched. The randomized controlled clinical trials that compared simulated driving performance between two groups of drivers, one consumed alcohol and the other not consumed, were included. Lane position standard deviation （LPSD）, mean of lane position deviation （MLPD）, speed, mean of speed deviation （MSD）, standard deviation of speed deviation （SDSD）, number of accidents （NA） and line crossing （LC） were considered as the main parameters evaluating outcomes. After title and abstract screening, the articles were enrolled for data extraction and they were evaluated for risk of biases. Results： Thirteen papers were included in our qualitative synthesis. All included papers were classified as high risk of biases. Alcohol consumption mostly deteriorated the following performance outcomes in descending order： SDSD, LPSD, speed, MLPD, LC and NA. Our systematic review had troublesome heterogeneity. Conclusion： Alcohol consumption may decrease simulated driving performance in alcohol consumed people compared with non-alcohol consumed people via changes in SDSD, LPSD, speed, MLPD, LC and NA. More well-designed randomized controlled clinical trials are recommended.