Clustering and Characteristics of Acute Acquired Brain Injury Patients With Driving Resumption Difficulty: The Role of Neuropsychological Tests, Frailty, and Gait Independence.

OBJECTIVES

Decisions to resume driving after acute brain injury are often difficult. Predictors of decisions depend on the results of neuropsychological tests. As a result, few studies have investigated other characteristics. This study clustered participants who received support for resuming driving after acute brain injury based on neuropsychological tests and analyzed their characteristics.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Participants were 74 patients with acute brain injury. Cluster analysis was used to classify participants based on attention and visuospatial cognitive functions. Each cluster group were compared using multiple comparison tests (Bonferroni method) in terms of clinical assessments, neuropsychological tests, and driving resumption ability.

RESULTS

The characteristics of the cluster group with poor results in the two neuropsychological tests were that they were often judged as unable to resume driving (p < 0.001), were in a state of frailty (p = 0.02), and had a low level of walking independence (p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

When helping patients with acute brain injury to return to driving, not only the results of neuropsychological tests but also assessments of frailty before onset and level of walking independence are important.