SAFETYLIT WEEKLY UPDATE

We compile citations and summaries of about 400 new articles every week.
RSS Feed

HELP: Tutorials | FAQ
CONTACT US: Contact info

Search Results

Journal Article

Citation

Gorrie CA, Rodriguez M, Sachdev PS, Duflou J, Waite PME. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2007; 39(6): 1114-1120.

Affiliation

Neural Injury Research Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aap.2007.02.008

PMID

17920833

Abstract

Given the expected increase in the older population and driving in this age group, concerns have been raised about the safety of older drivers. People over 65 years are over-represented in motor vehicle fatalities when calculated by distance driven. They are also at risk of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, that affect cognitive function. We have examined the brains of older drivers (15M:12F) who died as a result of a motor vehicle accident (MVA) to determine the extent of Alzheimer's disease-related neurofibrillary changes (neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles), Lewy body pathology and cerebrovascular disease and compared them to a control group of older licenced drivers (23M:5F) who died of other causes. The prevalence of moderate or severe neuritic plaque pathology was less than expected for the general population of this age and there was no difference between the groups. However, mild neuritic plaque pathology was increased for MVA deaths compared to controls. There was no evidence of vascular dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies. The current mandatory age-related re-licencing procedures in NSW may contribute to the low percentage of drivers with severe pathology. Further research into the role of mild pathology in cognitive impairment and older drivers is warranted.


Language: en

NEW SEARCH


All SafetyLit records are available for automatic download to Zotero & Mendeley
Print