Article

Individuals with chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) often
note driving as a difficult task. This study's aims were to (1) compare, while
driving, neck motor performance, mental effort, and fatigue in individuals with
chronic WAD against healthy controls and (2) investigate the relationships of
these variables and neck pain to self-reported driving difficulty in the WAD
group. This study involved 14 participants in each group (WAD and
control). Measures included self-reported driving difficulty and measures of neck
pain intensity, overall fatigue, mental effort, and neck motor performance (head
rotation and upper trapezius activity) while driving a simulator. RESULTS: The
WAD group had greater absolute path of head rotation in a simulated city area and
used greater mental effort (P = 0.04), but there were no differences in other
measures while driving compared with the controls (all P >/= 0.05). Self-reported
driving difficulty correlated moderately with neck pain intensity, fatigue level,
and maximum velocity of head rotation while driving in the WAD group (all P <
0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with chronic WAD do not seem to have impaired
neck motor performance while driving yet use greater mental effort. Neck pain,
fatigue, and maximum head rotation velocity could be potential contributors to
self-reported driving difficulty in this group.

Langue : ANGLAIS