Discriminating between brain injured and non-disabled persons: a PC-based interactive driving simulator pilot project

This pilot study investigated whether the STISIM DriveTM, a personal computer-based interactive driving simulator could discriminate between 5 cognitively impaired brain-injured persons and 5 non-disabled age/sex matched persons. Dangerous errors like running off-road, crashing, and running stop signs discriminated between the groups as did speed on straight and curved roads and lane position on curved roads. In specific critical events, brain injured subjects used simpler, less adaptive strategies and were more impulsive. Straight road lane position did not discriminate. The results tentatively indicate that a driving simulator can discriminate between brain injured and non-disabled subjects. These indicators should be examined in future studies.