@article{ref1,
title="Driving performance in patients with cancer in the head and neck region: a pilot study",
journal="Archives of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery",
year="2007",
author="Yuen, Hunter K. L. and Gillespie, Marion B. and Barkley, R. A. and Day, Terry A. and Bandyopadhyay, Dipankar and Sharma, A. K.",
volume="133",
number="9",
pages="904-909",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To investigate actual driving performance in a group of patients with cancer in the head and neck region. DESIGN: A nonrandomized controlled trial. PARTICIPANTS: Ten patients with cancer in the head and neck region participated in a driving evaluation using a virtual reality driving simulator. Driving performance from the simulator and observer ratings on participants' driving behaviors were compared between a group of patients with cancer in the head and neck region and a group of 50 community control subjects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Average speed, mean brake reaction time, steering variability, the total number of (fatal and nonfatal) collisions during the 12-minute evaluation course on the driving simulator, and the score of the 18-item Simulator Driving Performance Scale. RESULTS: Using Mann-Whitney U tests, the brake reaction time and the steering variability in the cancer group were significantly longer and larger, respectively, than those in the control group (P = .04) and (P = .02). However, no significant differences were found between the 2 groups in the mean rank scores for average speed, total number of collisions, and Simulator Driving Performance Scale (P >.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study provides preliminary evidence indicating inferior driving performance in a group of patients with cancer in the head and neck region when compared with a community control group. Further study is needed to investigate factors attributing to the difference.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0886-4470",
doi="10.1001/archotol.133.9.904",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archotol.133.9.904"
}