Short and Predictive Assessment Battery of Fitness-to-Drive After Stroke

The objective of this study was to confirm the accuracy of a previously identified short assessment battery to predict fitness-to-drive after stroke in a new cohort of stroke survivors. This was a prospective study that included 43 (39 males and 4 females) participants who performed the pre-driving assessment that included a standardized on-road test at the Belgian Road Safety Institute in Brussels, Belgium. Participants were on average six months post stroke, not severely physically disabled, possessed valid drivers’ licenses and actively drove prior to stroke onset. Fitness-to-drive decisions made based on performance in 15 tests of a full scale assessment battery were predicted using only scores in three previously identified predictive tests. Performance in the three tests (figure of Rey, visual neglect (lateralized mean reaction time) and on-road test) was used to correctly predict 37 (86%) of the 43 participants’ driving fitness. The sensitivity and specificity of the predictions were 77% and 92% respectively. The outcome of this study shows that the short assessment battery is indeed a good predictor of fitness-to-drive in stroke survivors, especially those without severe deficits.