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Vision and Driving in Multiple Sclerosis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Vision and Driving in Multiple Sclerosis

Maria T Schultheis, Kevin Manning, Valerie Weisser, Alison Blasco, Jocelyn Ang and Mark E Wilkinson
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vol.91(2), pp.315-317
2010
DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2009.09.021
PMID: 20159138
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2009.09.021View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Schultheis MT, Manning K, Weisser V, Blasco A, Ang J, Wilkinson ME. Vision and driving in multiple sclerosis. To examine the relationship between measures of visual dysfunction and driving performance in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). Between-group comparison. All data were collected in an outpatient research setting. Persons (N=66) with MS of the relapsing remitting type (26 self-reporting visual difficulties; 40 self-reporting no visual difficulties) and 26 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Not applicable. Measures of vision included visual acuity, depth perception, and color perception. Driving was measured using documented accident/violation rate and self-reported driving behaviors. Quantitative analysis only revealed that MS persons with self-reported visual difficulties performed significantly worse than healthy controls on color perception (Kruskal-Wallis; χ 2 2=8.89, P=.01). There were no group differences on driving behaviors, and correlational analysis revealed a lack of relationship between the selected visual (visual acuity, depth perception, color perception) and driving performance measures (documented accident/violation rate and self-limiting driving behaviors). Persons with MS who self-reported difficulties with vision had acceptable visual acuity, despite demonstrating impairment in color perception. The fact that visual acuity remains the most common measure for visual fitness to drive remains problematic. There is a need to further define measures of visual dysfunction relevant to driving among this clinical population.
Visual acuity Multiple sclerosis Rehabilitation Automobile driving

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