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RESEARCHERS WILL EVALUATE STRATEGIES USEFUL WHEN BROACHING ISSUE OF GIVING UP DRIVING
09 September 2005 - Boston University
| Researchers at Boston University Medical Center are conducting a new study that could help caregivers of people with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, or Alzheimer’s disease address the difficult decision of when their loved ones should limit or stop driving. |
Led by the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical and Research Program, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab and the Corporate Gerontology Group at The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., researchers will evaluate new educational information and educational group sessions developed to give caregivers effective strategies to make decisions regarding their loved one’s driving. According to BUMC researchers, driving and dementia continues to be a growing public safety issue as an estimated 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia can result in various cognitive impairments that affect an individual’s ability to drive safely, including limited judgment and insight, slowed reaction time, difficulties juggling more than one task at a time, and visual-spatial perceptual difficulties. Because of a lack of information and support, many caregivers of patients with dementia do not know how to communicate or implement decisions around limiting or stopping their loved ones from driving. “Giving up driving can be a very difficult decision for people with dementia,” says Robert Stern, principal investigator of the study and associate professor of neurology at BUMC. “Patients may fear a loss of independence or may not be aware of their own driving inabilities. This study will examine how to support caregivers in dealing with the difficult decision of when they should limit or stop the patient from driving.” During the study, caregivers will receive either a four-week group educational series on driving and dementia (a two-hour session, once a week for four weeks), or written materials and a one-time educational seminar on driving and dementia. Additionally, all study participants will participate in two, two-hour interviews along with two brief follow-up phone calls.
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About: Boston University
Boston University has a well-deserved reputation for excellence in research in a wide range of disciplines and a demonstrated commitment to fostering innovative interdisciplinary research. The Office of the Associate Provost for Research and Graduate Education supports the University in facilitating research at the both the student and faculty levels.Our mission is to enhance and encourage research at Boston University and to provide a climate conducive to maintaining the University at the cutting edge of research and scholarly activities. We work with the Boston University community to plan and coordinate interdisciplinary research and represent the University in research matters related to Inter-University consortia. To encourage new, innovative, and cross-disciplinary efforts, this office administers the Special Program for Research Initiation Grants (SPRInG). We showcase graduate research at Science & Technology Day. This annual event features nearly 200 research posters by graduate students from both the Medical and Charles River Campuses working in a wide range of disciplines. Our annual research magazine, Research at Boston University, informs a wide audience about a selection of our significant research findings and ongoing studies at Boston University. We also maintain a strong presence on the web through this site and through the Science Coalition’s website, which brings our research successes to the attention of Congress and other policy makers in the federal government. To assist Boston University researchers, this office oversees the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program and coordinates with the Office of Sponsored Programs on the Charles River Campus , the research administration on the Medical Campus, the Office of Research Compliance, and the various graduate programs. For the development of commercially viable ideas, we administer the Provost's Innovation Fund and work closely with the Office of Technology Transfer. We also coordinate proposals where there are institutional limits to the number of proposals that may be submitted, cost sharing requirements, significant laboratory renovations, or other special circumstances. This office assists departments and centers to achieve a diverse faculty and graduate student body through our membership and activities with the Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate and through our affiliation with the Clare Boothe Luce program of the Henry Luce Foundation. |
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