The Varsity

An online tool developed by a U of T professor, once standardized, may help Ontario alleviate the problem of impaired driving by those over the age of 80.

A 2010 Ministry of Transportation report found that 15.5 per cent of impaired driving cases were attributable to cognitive dementia. Brainscreen, a tool developed by psychology professor Konstantine Zakzanis, recognizes early signs of the condition.

The current test used on elderly drivers “doesn’t test psychomotor speed, information processing, [or] the ability to handle a crisis,” said Mark Rapoport, a geriatric psychiatrist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

The website for Brainscreen claims that it “de-medicalizes the screening process, placing knowledge in the hands of loved ones and other concerned parties.”