Abstract
This article reviewed the association between safe driving and cognitive impairment in elderly individuals, and discussed leaving problems about assessing elderly drivers for fitness to drive and facilitating their mobility. This review placed particular emphasis on the concept of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which has been used in clinical practice and research over the last two decades. The technical term “MCI” has been based on various criteria, contributing to the difficulty in achieving a consistent explanation of the results from previous studies. Each diagnosis was therefore summarized at first, then previous studies were reviewed to gain an understanding of the impact of cognitive decline on driving safety in drivers with MCI and dementia. Findings of previous studies were also classified into each cognitive disorder due to specific disease (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease; Perkinson’s disease; Lewy body disease; frontotemporal lobar degeneration). Finally, the needs of future studies regarding safe-driving and mobility maintenance for elderly individuals are discussed.
