Dr. Maite Garolera, director of the Clinical Unit of Brain and Cognition Research of the CST and Dr. Susana Millán, Coordinator of the Emergency-Critical Area of ​​the Plató Hospital, were in charge of directing it and Dr. Antoni Bulbena, professor and director of the Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine of the UAB was responsible for tutoring it.

The work, which has received a rating of Excellent Cum Laude, was presented by compendium of publications. At the level of synthesis, the thesis shows that people suffering from neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease (PD), can constitute a risk group for the safety of driving vehicles. It is difficult to discriminate which neuropsychological tests from those usually applied in their clinical follow-up are related to the standard driving tests applied in our country and with this objective two studies are carried out.

The first was performed with patients diagnosed with MS. These were divided into two groups, those who presented cognitive impairment and those who did not. Those who did not have it showed similar scores to the controls. In contrast, the presence of cognitive impairment associated with MS revealed differences in most of the subtests of the driving tests. The neuropsychological tests that allowed to identify the patients with MS and cognitive deterioration with more risk for driving were those that imply the executive functions and the speed of information processing.

The second was performed with patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease without cognitive impairment. These showed results significantly worse than the controls to the driving subtests of motor coordination and visual processing speed. Drowsiness was not related to driving tests. The performance in the visuospatial domain allowed in 78% of cases the identification of unsafe drivers.

In terms of conclusions, the work concluded that part of the patients with MS and PE showed risk scores for unsafe driving. Cognitive impairment associated with MS is an added risk factor, 32% of these patients were considered to have a high risk for driving. In contrast, 100% of patients without cognitive impairment showed a low risk for driving.


In addition, it also showed that in patients diagnosed with MP without cognitive impairment 19% showed difficulties that could affect their driving abilities. Patients with MS and PE should be assessed neuropsychologically more regularly, in order to be able to detect early cognitive deficits that could influence the safety of their driving.

Dr. Dolores Badenes holds a degree in Psychology from the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​a Clinical Psychologist and a Master in Neuropsychology (UAB). His career in the field of psychology began in 1979 in the health sector working as a clinical psychologist and in 1995 he began to be part of MútuaTerrassa. Currently working as a neuropsychologist in the Neurology service of HUMT in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with neurological diseases. She is an associate professor of the UB and tutor of practices of the Master of Neuropsychology and Neurology of behavior.