Exploring clinical indicators to determine fitness to drive in patients with bipolar disorder

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K10272
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Iwamoto Kunihiro 名古屋大学, 医学系研究科, 准教授 (50569796)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 双極性障害 / 運転技能 / 認知機能 / 向精神薬 / 運転適性判断

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to examine the actual driving performance of patients with bipolar disorder and to identify factors that influence driving performance in order to extract clinical indicators that can be evaluated in a clinical setting to determine driving fitness. Driving simulator tasks, cognitive function tasks, symptom rating scales, prescribed medications, and driving behavior were investigated in 58 patients with stable bipolar disorder and 80 healthy controls. The results suggest that the patients' driving performance was not uniformly impaired, but that their attention function, number of mood episodes, and duration of illness were the clinical characteristics of interest in judging their fitness to drive.

Free Research Field

精神医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、双極性障害患者の運転適性を判断するための有用な臨床指標が抽出し，双極性障害の運転技能に関する証左が圧倒的に不足する中で、世界的にも医療者の運転適性判断を補助する有用な情報を提供した。また，向精神薬よりも双極性障害患者の病状の方が運転能力に与える影響は大きい可能性が示唆され，服薬中の運転を一律に禁止する日本の双極性障害治療薬の添付文書は議論の余地があると考えられ、患者，家族，医療者および公共の誰もが納得できる安全で安心な車社会の実現にも寄与し、患者の社会参画を促進する社会的意義も有する。