Environmental cueing may affect performance on a road test for drivers with dementia of the alzheimer type

This paper examines the impact of environmental cueing on a road test for persons with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). In an earlier study, we demonstrated the reliability and stability of the Washington University Road Test in a sample of 58 healthy elderly controls and 65 subjects with DAT. We found that dementia adversely affects driving performance even in its mild stages. Here we elaborate on the results of a follow-up road test conducted 1 month after the baseline test (n = 63) and explore possible reasons why the stability of the follow-up road test was lower than expected. We conclude that environmental cueing may affect performance on a road test in DAT.