A Concussion May Affect Your Driving Even After Symptoms Disappear, Says Study

0
1157

The effects a concussion has on driving a vehicle may continue to linger even after the symptoms disappear, according to a new study by University of Georgia researchers. Julianne Schmidt, associate professor in the UGA College of Education’s department of kinesiology and lead author of the study, said even though participants felt like they had recovered from their concussion, they were still likely to drive erratically while using a driving simulator — at times similar to someone driving under the influence of alcohol. “They had less vehicle control while they were doing the driving simulation, and they swerved more within the lane,” Schmidt said. “This is a pretty large indicator of motor vehicle accident risk, and this is at a time point when they are considered recovered.” The study included 14 college-age participants, all of whom were within 48 hours of no longer feeling the effects of their concussion. It is the first study of its kind to look into how a concussion impacts a person’s ability to drive

o

Click here to read more.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
o