Using the Orienting Hazard Prediction Test to Assess Fitness-to-Drive: Data From Stroke Survivors

Abstract

This study pioneers the exploration of the attentional orienting effect in experienced drivers: stroke survivors and healthy drivers. The Orienting Hazard Prediction Test (OHPT) consisted of 39 short videos shot in a naturalistic setting, including a target hazard situation just before the end of the video. Three conditions were manipulated: simple, valid, and invalid trials. A total of 69 experienced drivers took part in this experiment: a healthy control group (N = 37) and a stroke group (N = 32). The results replicated the expected main effect of orientation, now in complex driving situations. A significant group effect was also found: healthy drivers performed better than stroke survivors. Moreover, the drop in performance in the invalid trials was enhanced in the stroke group. By observing the performance of stroke survivors on this test, we can find its concurrent validity with other neuropsychological assessments: TMT (Trail Making Test) and UFOV (Useful Field of View).