Sensitivity and validity of psychometric tests for assessing driving impairment: effects of sleep deprivation.

Jongen, Stefan; Perrier, Joy; Vuurman, Eric F; Ramaekers, Johannes G; Vermeeren, Annemiek · 2015 · DOAJ

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117045

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Summary

This study addresses the lack of consensus regarding which psychometric tests are most effective for the initial screening of drug-induced driving impairment. While laboratory tests are cost-effective and efficient for early detection, their clinical relevance is often unclear. To establish a link between test outcomes and clinically significant impairment, the researchers used one night of sleep deprivation to induce drowsiness, a major cause of traffic accidents. The primary objective was to determine the sensitivity of nine psychometric tests to this impairment and their validity in predicting actual driving performance deficits. The study employed a two-period crossover design with 24 healthy volunteers. Participants underwent two conditions: a normal night of sleep and one night of sleep deprivation (24 hours of wakefulness). Driving performance was assessed using a standardized highway driving test, with the Standard Deviation of Lateral Position (SDLP) serving as the primary outcome measure for road tracking error. A battery of nine psychometric tests—including the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT), Divided Attention Test (DAT), Critical Tracking Test (CTT), and others—was administered at multiple time points: once after normal sleep and three times during the sleep deprivation period (1 am, 5 am, and 11 am). This design allowed for the comparison of laboratory test sensitivity against the known impairing effects of sleep deprivation on actual driving. Results indicated that sleep deprivation significantly impaired on-the-road driving performance, evidenced by a 3.1 cm increase in SDLP compared to the normal sleep condition. Among the psychometric tests, the PVT showed the largest effect sizes, followed by significant impairments in the DAT, Attention Network Test (ANT), and Useful Field of View (UFOV) tests, particularly at 5 am and 11 am. Crucially, the study found significant correlations between changes in SDLP and performance changes in the PVT and DAT. However, no significant correlation was found between SDLP and the UFOV test. These findings suggest that while many tests detect drowsiness, only specific ones align closely with actual driving impairment. The study concludes that the PVT and DAT are the most promising tools for the initial evaluation of drug-induced impairment due to their high sensitivity and strong correlation with driving performance metrics. These tests offer a valid, efficient method for screening sedative effects before proceeding to more complex driving simulations or on-road testing. The authors recommend further studies to validate the sensitivity of these specific tests following the administration of benchmark sedative drugs, thereby establishing a standardized protocol for assessing fitness to drive in clinical and regulatory contexts.

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Topics

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• sleep deprivation
• drowsiness
• useful field of view
• drowsiness detection algorithms
• prescription meds
• drowsy as impairment

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: physiological data
• Methodological Resource: validation psychometrics