Citation

Haussmann R, Wagner T, Müller D, Bauer M, Laux G, Donix M. Nervenarzt, Der 2016; 88(3): 247-253.

Vernacular Title

Beurteilung der Fahrtauglichkeit bei Patienten mit MCI und demenziellen Syndromen.

Affiliation

Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus an der Technischen Universität Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307, Dresden, Deutschland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00115-016-0097-x

PMID

27056190

Abstract

People with mild cognitive impairment and dementia are a frequent and continuously increasing patient group in practically all fields of medicine. The associated challenges involve nearly all areas of life in addition to the direct medical treatment. Assessment of the ability to drive in patients with cognitive deficits is becoming increasingly more important. What are the options available to physicians in order to make a valid assessment? Which legal aspects must be taken into consideration? Which rights and obligations arise from the framework conditions? These questions nowadays give rise to great uncertainty for many medical personnel; however, the increasing importance of these problems necessitates a clear procedure, which allows difficult decisions to be made with utmost sovereignty and legal certainty and to be able to give patients and relatives a plausible explanation. Because age is a substantial risk factor for the development of cognitive disorders, the question of the ability to drive is affected not only by neuropsychiatric diseases, such as mild cognitive disorders or dementia but also the frequently occurring somatic comorbidities. Estimation of the ability to drive is therefore a complex approach, which should be standardized in order to appreciate all relevant aspects. It would be desirable to have a practice-oriented algorithm, the formulation of which is the aim of this article. Additionally, we would like to make a contribution to road safety and make medical personnel fully aware of this topic.

Language: de