Background: Age-related changes affect driving ability, including the smoothness of driving. This operation requires the use of both allocentric strategies (based on world-centered representations) and egocentric strategies (based on self-centered representations); however, with age, a greater preference for egocentric strategies is evident when driving. Furthermore, an age-related decline occurs in both driving ability and spatial navigation. We therefore assessed the relationship between spatial navigation and driving smoothness and tested whether a driving simulator can be used to evaluate smooth lane changes in older drivers. Methods: A total of 34 healthy older drivers (mean age: 68.2 ± 5.4 years old) and 20 younger drivers (mean age = 20.2 ± 5.4 years old) participated in this study. The smoothness of driving was assessed using a driving simulator and spatial navigation was assessed using the Card-Placing Test-A/B. We also assessed visual perception and general intellectual function using standard neuropsychological tests. Results: Older drivers had significantly worse spatial navigation and exhibited less smooth driving than younger drivers. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between the smoothness of driving and spatial navigation within both groups. These results suggest that the deterioration in spatial navigation in older people may underlie the observed decrease in driving smoothness, and that spatial navigation and smooth driving deteriorate with age. Conclusions: Considering these results, we found a significant correlation in the older group between the smoothness of vehicle movement and spatial navigation, in the smoothness of vehicle movement between the young and old groups. The smoothness values, which indices thoroughly derived from the driving simulator are indeed showing some evidence in ego/allocentric cognitions, which may change by age. The driving simulator could aid the development of intervention programs or assessment measures for drivers with a decreased function.

Objective Driving ability in older people is affected by declining motor, cognitive and visual functions. We compared perceptual and cognitive skills and driving behaviour in a Japanese population. Methods We used a driving simulator to measure the effects of spatial navigation skills and eye movements on driving ability. Participants were 34 older and 20 young adults who completed a simulated driving task involving a lane change and a right turn at an intersection. We used an eye tracker to measure gaze. We measured visual recognition (Benton Judgment of Line Orientation Test (BJLO)), spatial navigation (Card-Placing Test (CPT A & B)), visual perception (Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM)) and driving ability (Stroke Drivers’ Screening Assessment). Results Older participants scored significantly lower on the BJLO, CPT-A & B and RCPM, showed a significant correlation between gaze time and CPT-A & B scores (both p < .01) and had a longer gaze time. There were significant between-group differences in saccade switching (p < .01 right turn), distance per saccade (p < .05 for right turn and lane change) and saccade total distance (p < .05 right turn; p < .01 lane change). There was an association between age and rate of gaze at the right door mirror (p = 0.04). Conclusion The findings indicate that older drivers have poorer eye movement control and spatial navigation. This is likely to result in delayed responses and difficulties in predicting the on-coming driving environment. Driving simulation could help older drivers in their driving abilities.

The 65-year-old or older population exceeded 30 million with rapid aging in Japan. It is predicted to peak with about 39 million in 2042 and the 75-year-old or older population will continuously increase thereafter. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare promotes construction of the Integrated Community Care System targeting 2025 [1], and how to prevent a need-fornursing care state in the elderly is an urgent issue. Regarding the prevention of nursing care, improvement of sociality of the elderly, such as an increase in conversation with emotional changes by interaction through conversation employing the life review/reminiscence therapy, and subsequent improvement of nighttime sleeping hours have been reported [2−4]. In addition, prevention of nursing through amusement devices has recently been attracting attention, and improvement of the motor function by using amusement devices has been reported [5] Abstract: Objective: Amusement was introduced for one month and interaction among the elderly and its influence on their physiological function and sleep were investigated. Methods: The subjects were 9 elderly females (age: 89.0 ± 4.7 years old) who periodically visited a day care service center for the elderly. The survey was performed between October 2015 and December 2015. For the amusement, Blackjack was introduced. The survey period was comprised of 3 amusement introduction periods: pre-amusement, and one week and one month after amusement introduction. In each period, the heart rate (HR), sympathetic nerve activity (CSI), and parasympathetic nerve activity (CVI) were measured during amusement, and the difference in the salivary amylase level between before and after amusement was determined. The sleep efficiency and sleeping hours were measured at night of the days with amusement. Repeated measures one-way ANOVA was performed regarding the survey period as a factor and HR, CSI, CVI, sleep efficiency, sleeping hours, and difference in the amylase level as dependent variables. Results: Significant amusement-induced changes were noted in the CVI and salivary amylase level. These were significantly lower at one month after amusement introduction than those in pre-amusement. Conclusion: Amusement-induced laughing and regret or interaction through the amusement influenced their autonomic nerve system and they may have felt comfortable.

Children with traits of developmental coordination disorder (DCD-t) may experience occupational performance problems that go unrecognized and therefore may not be adequately supported. The cognitive orientation to daily occupational performance (CO-OP) approach has been effective in interventions for developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Based on an open-label, randomized controlled trial design, this study evaluated the effects of CO-OP on the occupational performance and motor skills of older kindergarten children with DCD-t using the School Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (S-AMPS) and the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition. Children with a total DCDQ score of less than 40 or M-ABC2 scores in the 5th to 16th percentile were considered to have DCD-t. Furthermore, children with DCD-t and S-AMPS process skills less than 0.7 were considered to have DAMP (Deficits in Attention, Motor control and Perception)-t. After 3 months of CO-OP intervention, the performance and motor skills of children with DCD-t improved significantly. However, there were no significant changes noted in the motor skills of children with DAMP-t, although their occupational performance improved. These results suggest that CO-OP is effective even for older kindergarten children with DCD-t. However, further improvement of the CO-OP approach or a different strategy is required for children with ADHD comorbidity.

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