Driving Impairment in Movement Disorders

Abstract

Background: Driving may be adversely affected by any movement disorder, but has been mostly studied in Parkinson's disease (PD). Few studies have addressed driving impairment in patients with Huntington's disease (HD); driving in other movement disorders such as dystonia, blepharospasm and Tourette syndrome (TS) has not been adequately evaluated. Objectives: The aim of this review is to summarize the findings of driving impairment in movement disorders and evaluate the usefulness of clinical tools in guiding clinicians whether to refer patients for driving assessment. Methods: A review of literature was performed on PubMed and articles on driving and movement disorders were identified using a Boolean phrase. Results: We were able to identify 66 articles that fulfilled the target subject: impairment of driving in PD, cervical dystonia, blepharospasm, HD and TS. We also included articles discussing the role of driving rehabilitation in patients with movement disorders. Conclusions: Driving is often impaired in patients with PD and other movement disorders not only due to motor symptoms but also because of cognitive and behavioral co-morbidities. Certain screening tools may be helpful in guiding the clinician in referring the patients for driving assessment.