Effects of Pain on Driving Performance and Cognition.

Terminated

• Conditions: Chronic Pain

• Registration Number: NCT00189046
• Lead Sponsor: UMC Utrecht

Brief Summary

It has been suggested that cognitive functioning is impaired in chronic pain patients. Since most of these pain patients engage in daily activities including driving, it was hypothezised that they may have an increased risk of becoming involved in traffic accidents.

Detailed Description

Most chronic pain patients engage in daily activities including driving. Driving a car is a complex task requiring mental alertness and a variety of cognitive functions such as perception, attention, learning, memory and decision making.Several studies have demonstrated cognitive impairments on laboratory tasks in patients with chronic pain, particularly on measures assessing attentional capacity, processing speed and psychomotor speed. These findings suggest that car driving performance might be impaired, and that chronic pain patients may therefore have an increased traffic accident risk. Unfortunately, no studies have investigated the impact of chronic pain on actual driving ability. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of chronic pain on actual driving performance during normal traffic. In addition to the on-the-road driving test, psychomotor, and memory tests measuring driving-related skills were conducted in the laboratory. Moreover, effects of pain on an attentional capacity test were tested using event-related potentials.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2004-01
• Status Verified: 2004-12
• Study Completion: 2005-04
• Study First Submitted: 2005-09-12
• Study First Submitted QC: 2005-09-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2005-09-12
• Study First Posted: 2005-09-16
• Last Update Posted: 2005-09-16

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: TERMINATED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

age driving licence driving experience normal vision right-handed fluently Dutch speaking

Exclusion Criteria

psychological or physical disorder drug or alcohol abuse psychotropic medication use excessive smoking, drinking

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Psychopharmacology; 🇳🇱 Utrecht, Netherlands