Cognition and driving ability

Abstract

Driving a vehicle is a dynamic activity, so requires a seamless interaction of multiple cognitive abilities. This paper describes an integrated cognition of human attention during the performance of a vehicle driving. Michon proposed three levels of driver behavior called strategic （planning）, tactical （maneuvering） and operational （control）. The strategic level involves route choice and the realization of the selected route. The tactical level concerns maneuvering. The operational level concerns vehicle control in terms of speed and course control. In this widely-cited model of driver behavior, executive function, attention, visuospatial function and global cognition emerged as the strongest factor for driving performance. In our experiment that measured oxy-hemoglobin levels of the drivers using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, significant activities were shown in bilateral frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, and were more prominent in the right cerebral hemisphere than in the left. For patients with brain injury, checking up the function of the brain region where the damage has occurred is important before providing sufficient real vehicle driving practice.