Citation

Hung Y, Vetivelu A, Hird M, Yan M, Tam F, Graham SJ, Cusimano MD, Schweizer TA. Neurosci. Lett. 2014; 558: 41-46.

Affiliation

Neuroscience Research, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1W8 Canada. Electronic address: yuwen.hung@utoronto.ca.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.neulet.2013.10.065

PMID

24211223

Abstract

Until now there has been limited information regarding how the function of the human brain, the cerebellum, often affected by many neurological conditions and is important for movement control and planning, impacts driving ability. This study used the fMRI with virtual-driving technique to determine which aspects of daily driving performances are affected by cerebellar activation in healthy drivers (Experiment 1). It also investigated drivers with focal cerebellar lesions to identify how damage to this brain region impairs driving abilities. Results show that a healthy cerebellar function is responsible for basic driving performance related to motor-speed coordination; it is also responsible for executing complex driving behaviour related to temporal-motor integration. Drivers with cerebellar damage, as predicted, showed significantly compromised speed control during basic driving conditions, whereas their ability to perform in interactive driving situations was preserved. New insights into neural mechanisms and brain plasticity regarding driving behaviour are discussed. Strategies in assessing and rehabilitating drivers with related neurological conditions are provided.

Language: en