Research Brief: A Literature Review of Frontotemporal Dementia and Driving

There is a growing body of research on Alzheimer's disease and driving, but much less is known about less common dementias, such as frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The purpose of this study was to review the empirical literature about FTD and driving. A study was included if it met the following criteria: published from 1992 to 2013 in English, research involving humans, and included both FTD and driving data. We searched the following electronic databases: EBSCOhost, PubMed, Google Scholar, Proquest, Web of Knowledge, and Publishing Connect. A total of 367 abstracts were reviewed; however, only 4 articles satisfied the inclusion criteria. Results showed that drivers with FTD had more problems than control groups. Specific driving issues were related to antisocial behaviors common among people with FTD (eg, hit and run crashes, failure to stop at red lights, speeding infractions, and failure to recognize pedestrians at intersections). More research on FTD and driving is needed.