6533b821fe1ef96bd127c2ed
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Differences in hand and foot psychomotor speed among 18 pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for lifelong vehicular driving.
Riitta SimonenMichele C. BattiéTapio VidemanLaura E. Gibbonssubject
AdultMalemedicine.medical_specialtyAutomobile Drivingmedia_common.quotation_subjectMonozygotic twinPoison controlAudiologyVibrationRisk FactorsOccupational ExposureReaction TimeMedicineHumansMotor skillFinlandmedia_commonPsychomotor learningbusiness.industryPublic Health Environmental and Occupational HealthBody movementTwins MonozygoticMiddle AgedTwin studyLateralitybusinessPsychomotor PerformanceVigilance (psychology)description
The purpose of this study was to examine driving as a determinant of hand and foot psychomotor reaction times. Visual simple and choice hand and foot psychomotor reaction times were measured. The occupational driving contrast was determined by an interview reviewing every job held during each subject's lifetime. Comparison was made of psychomotor speed among 18 pairs of 39- to 62-year-old monozygotic male twins discordant for lifelong occupational driving. The mean discordance was the equivalent of 16 years of full-time driving. The twins who drove more tended to have slower hand simple and choice reaction times, although only the difference in hand-choice decision time was statistically significant (32 ms, P<0.05). The drivers also had slower ipsilateral foot-choice decision times (21 ms, P<0.01), but on average they had faster reaction times in 8 of the 12 ipsilateral and contralateral foot measurements. The slightly longer decision times could be related to some general harmful effects of driving, possibly whole-body vibration. Faster foot movement times of drivers may be affected by practice effects of rapid lower-extremity movements in driving.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-09-10 | International archives of occupational and environmental health |