scholarly journals Spatial Mental Transformation Skills Discriminate Fitness to Drive in Young and Old Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luigi Tinella ◽  
Antonella Lopez ◽  
Alessandro Oronzo Caffò ◽  
Ignazio Grattagliano ◽  
Andrea Bosco

Literature on driving research suggests a relationship between cognition and driving performance in older and younger drivers. There is little research on adults and driving, despite them being the largest age cohort behind the wheel. Among the cognitive domains, visuospatial abilities are expected to be highly predictive of driving skills and driving fitness. The relationship between specific spatial mental transformation skills (i.e., object and self-based ones) and driving performance has not yet been examined. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between overall cognitive functioning, self and object-based spatial mental transformation skills, and driving performance in a sample of younger and older adult drivers. Participants were comprised of one hundred younger and 83 older adult Italian drivers. Participants completed a computerized driving test assessing traffic stress resilience, visual and motor reaction time, and the ability to obtain an overview of the traffic scenario (DT, vRT, mRT, and ATAV respectively in the Shufried®-Vienna Test System–DRIVESC). The Mental Rotation Test (MRT) and the Object Perspective Taking Test (OPT) were administered in order to assess object-based and self-based spatial mental transformation skills. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA) was administered control for global cognitive functioning. The effects of education and gender were also controlled in the analysis. The results of the present study suggested that: (1) The effect of age, favoring younger participants, was found in DT, vRT, mRT, and ATAVT tests. (2) The effect of global cognitive functioning was found in DT and ATAV tests. (3) The effect of the spatial mental transformation tests was found in DT, vRT (MRT only), and ATAVT (OPT only) tests. Taken together, these results suggest the specific contribution of spatial mental transformation skills in the execution of complex behaviors connected to the fitness to drive. Prospectively, the results of the present study relating spatial mental transformation skills and driving processes may be a valuable source of knowledge for researchers dealing with the relationship between cognitive resources and navigation aids.

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-291
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Kata ◽  
Wiesław Poleszak

The reports of committees investigating the causes of rail accidents indicate the significance of the so-called human factor (e.g. UTK, 2019). In addition to issues related to perso nality functioning, the organization and culture of work, this also includes variables related to the cognitive functioning of train drivers themselves. These are significant factors that determine the occurrence of accidents that result from ignoring or not spotting railway signals and signs. The purpose of this study was to verify the relationship between cognitive functioning and safety determinants, which was measured using an eye-tracking technique. The application of this technique was intended to check its usefulness in the field of railway traffic safety and to achieve an approximate simulation environment of the real working conditions of a train driver. In the present study, the Vienna Test System was used as a me - thod for the determination of cognitive functioning. Based on the variables described in the subject literature, the following tests were applied: Determination Test, Visual Memory Test, Visual Pursuit Test, Reaction Time, Cognitrone, Signal Detection and Vigilance. In addition to computer cognitive tests, an eye-tracking test method was designed based on a film recorded in real train-driving situation. Measures describing areas of interest (AOI) that are crucial for safety were analysed. Due to the pilot nature of the research, only 10 passenger train drivers participated in the study. The results of the study showed a link between the cognitive functioning of the train drivers and visual security determinants. Significant correlations were found with stress tolerance resulting from cognitive overload, visual memory, alertness and concentration ability under time pressure. The study confirmed the significant role of the train driver's cogni- tive functioning in the analysis and perception of safety-critical signals. The use of an eye-tracking method has delivered results that are in agreement with studies based on other methods. This pro- vides a sound basis for the continuation of research using eye- tracking in the assessment of rail transport safety. In the future, the research should be extended to include an analysis of the effect of demographic and situational variables (types of signalling devices and signage) and a broader model of the relationship between cog- nitive functioning and the driver's visual attention. This will provide data that is crucial for the prevention of railway incidents and the development of training plans for train drivers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Van Benthem ◽  
Chris M. Herdman

Abstract. Identifying pilot attributes associated with risk is important, especially in general aviation where pilot error is implicated in most accidents. This research examined the relationship of pilot age, expertise, and cognitive functioning to deviations from an ideal circuit trajectory. In all, 54 pilots, of varying age, flew a Cessna 172 simulator. Cognitive measures were obtained using the CogScreen-AE ( Kay, 1995 ). Older age and lower levels of expertise and cognitive functioning were associated with significantly greater flight path deviations. The relationship between age and performance was fully mediated by a cluster of cognitive factors: speed and working memory, visual attention, and cognitive flexibility. These findings add to the literature showing that age-related changes in cognition may impact pilot performance.


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Caillouet ◽  
Jesse Brand ◽  
Bernice Marcopulos ◽  
Julie-Ann Kent

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaoxiong Ye ◽  
Qianru Xu ◽  
Xinyang Liu ◽  
Piia Astikainen ◽  
Yongjie Zhu ◽  
...  

AbstractPrevious studies have associated visual working memory (VWM) capacity with the use of internal attention. Retrocues, which direct internal attention to a particular object or feature dimension, can improve VWM performance (i.e., retrocue benefit, RCB). However, so far, no study has investigated the relationship between VWM capacity and the magnitudes of RCBs obtained from object-based and dimension-based retrocues. The present study explored individual differences in the magnitudes of object- and dimension-based RCBs and their relationships with VWM capacity. Participants completed a VWM capacity measurement, an object-based cue task, and a dimension-based cue task. We confirmed that both object- and dimension-based retrocues could improve VWM performance. We also found a significant positive correlation between the magnitudes of object- and dimension-based RCB indexes, suggesting a partly overlapping mechanism between the use of object- and dimension-based retrocues. However, our results provided no evidence for a correlation between VWM capacity and the magnitudes of the object- or dimension-based RCBs. Although inadequate attention control is usually assumed to be associated with VWM capacity, the results suggest that the internal attention mechanism for using retrocues in VWM retention is independent of VWM capacity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 255-255
Author(s):  
Jo-Ana Chase ◽  
Lizyeka Jordan ◽  
Christina Whitehouse ◽  
Kathryn Bowles

Abstract Sepsis survivorship is associated with cognitive decline and complex post-acute care needs. Family caregivers may be unprepared to manage these needs, resulting in decline or no improvement in patient outcomes. Using a national dataset of Medicare beneficiaries who were discharged from the hospital for sepsis and received post-acute HHC between 2013 and 2014 (n=165,228), we examined the relationship between unmet caregiving needs and improvement or decline in cognitive functioning. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine associations between unmet caregiving needs at the start of HHC and changes in cognitive functioning. Unmet caregiving needs included seven items from the start of care Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS). Changes in cognitive functioning were measured using the start of care and discharge OASIS assessments. Twenty-four percent of patients either declined or did not improve in cognitive functioning from HHC admission to discharge, with variation seen by unmet need type. Sepsis survivors with unmet caregiving needs for activities of daily living assistance (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01, 1.09), medication assistance (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02,1.10), and supervision and safety assistance (OR 1.110, 95% CI 1.06,1.16) were more likely to decline or not improve in cognitive functioning, even after accounting for clinical and demographic characteristics. Older sepsis survivors with both cognitive impairment and unmet caregiving needs in the post-acute HHC setting are at high-risk for worsening cognition. Alerting the care team of cognitively impaired sepsis survivors with unmet caregiving needs may trigger evidence-based strategies to enhance caregiver training and reduce unmet caregiving needs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 159-159
Author(s):  
Tiana Broen ◽  
Tomiko Yoneda ◽  
Jonathan Rush ◽  
Jamie Knight ◽  
Nathan Lewis ◽  
...  

Abstract Previous cross-sectional research suggests that age-related decreases in Rapid-Eye Movement (REM) sleep may contribute to poorer cognitive functioning (CF); however, few studies have examined the relationship at the intraindividual level by measuring habitual sleep over multiple days. Applying a 14-day daily diary design, the current study examines the dynamic relationship between REM sleep and CF in 69 healthy older adults (M age=70.8 years, SD=3.37; 73.9% female; 66.6% completed at least an undergraduate degree). A Fitbit device provided actigraphy indices of REM sleep (minutes and percentage of total sleep time), while CF was measured four times daily on a smartphone via ambulatory cognitive tests that captured processing speed and working memory. This research addressed the following questions: At the within-person level, are fluctuations in quantity of REM sleep associated with fluctuations in next day cognitive measures across days? Do individuals who spend more time in REM sleep on average, perform better on cognitive tests than adults who spend less time in REM sleep? A series of multilevel models were fit to examine the extent to which each index of sleep accounted for daily fluctuations in performance on next day cognitive tests. Results indicated that during nights when individuals had more REM sleep minutes than was typical, they performed better on the working memory task the next morning (estimate = -.003, SE = .002, p = .02). These results highlight the impact of REM sleep on CF, and further research may allow for targeted interventions for earlier treatment of sleep-related cognitive impairment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 555-555
Author(s):  
Neil Charness ◽  
Dustin Souders ◽  
Ryan Best ◽  
Nelson Roque ◽  
JongSung Yoon ◽  
...  

Abstract Older adults are at greater risk of death and serious injury in transportation crashes which have been increasing in older adult cohorts relative to younger cohorts. Can technology provide a safer road environment? Even if technology can mitigate crash risk, is it acceptable to older road users? We outline the results from several studies that tested 1) whether advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) can improve older adult driving performance, 2) older adults’ acceptance of ADAS and Autonomous Vehicle (AV) systems, and 3) perceptions of value for ADAS systems, particularly for blind-spot detection systems. We found that collision avoidance warning systems improved older adult simulator driving performance, but not lane departure warning systems. In a young to middle-aged sample the factor “concern with AV” showed age effects with older drivers less favorable. Older drivers, however, valued an active blind spot detection system more than younger drivers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 413
Author(s):  
Andree Hartanto ◽  
Nadia C. H. Ong ◽  
Wee Qin Ng ◽  
Nadyanna M. Majeed

Considerable research has examined the relationship between positive emotion and cognitive flexibility. Less is known, however, about the causal relationship between discrete positive emotions, specifically gratitude, and cognitive flexibility. Given that different positive emotions may dissimilarly affect cognitive functioning, we sought to examine the effect of state gratitude on cognitive flexibility. A pilot study with ninety-five participants was employed to ensure the effectiveness of our gratitude manipulation. One hundred and thirteen participants were recruited for the main study, which utilized a within-subject experimental approach. After the manipulation, participants completed a well-established task-switching paradigm, which was used to measure cognitive flexibility. Contrary to our hypotheses, we did not find any evidence that state gratitude may enhance cognitive flexibility. The current study identified some boundary conditions around the potential benefits of the experience of gratitude.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 461-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron M. Koenig ◽  
Rishi K. Bhalla ◽  
Meryl A. Butters

AbstractThis brief report provides an introduction to the topic of cognitive functioning in late-life depression (LLD). In addition to providing a review of the literature, we present a framework for understanding the heterogeneity of cognitive outcomes in this highly prevalent disorder. In addition, we discuss the relationship between LLD and dementia, and highlight the importance of regularly assessing cognitive functioning in older adults who present with depressive symptoms. If cognitive deficits are discovered during a neuropsychological assessment, we recommend referral to a geriatric psychiatrist or cognitive neurologist, for evaluation and treatment of the patient’s symptoms. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–7)


2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1251-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yungchien Chu ◽  
Timothy C. Sell ◽  
Scott M. Lephart

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