EP 20 - Article Of The Week: Exploring the impact of Parkinson's disease on driving: a population-based survey

🎙️ We’re back with the twentieth episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.In this episode, Bas discusses Exploring the impact of Parkinson’s disease on driving: a population-based survey, a large real-world study examining how Parkinson’s affects driving ability, licence retention, and conversations between patients and healthcare professionals.Driving is closely tied to independence, identity, and quality of life — yet both motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s can compromise safety behind the wheel. Bas walks listeners through the findings of this population-based survey, which showed that most people with Parkinson’s still hold a valid driving licence, often many years after diagnosis, with many voluntarily adapting their driving habits by reducing distances or avoiding night-time travel. However, fewer than half had discussed driving with a healthcare professional, highlighting an important and often overlooked gap in routine care.He explores the broader factors that influence safe driving, including cognitive slowing, executive dysfunction, visual–spatial challenges, and the ability to respond under pressure — issues that may not always be captured during standard clinic assessments. Bas also considers the limitations of self-reported confidence and discusses the potential role of structured or simulator-based testing.This episode provides practical, real-world guidance for clinicians, patients, and families, emphasising the importance of regular conversations, early identification of risks, and supportive strategies to help people with Parkinson’s maintain safe mobility and independence for as long as possible.👉 You can read the full article here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39545559/Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.