How do age, disease, or other health problems affect the way we drive? University of Iowa Health Care researchers are trying to answer those questions, with the help of a sophisticated driving simulator.

It's called SIREN - or simulator for interdisciplinary research in ergonomics and neuroscience. It's a unique, hi-tech tool used by specialists at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics:

At first glance, this blue Saturn looks just like a normal car - except it's in the middle of a research facility at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. SIREN collects data on behavior in drivers with a variety of health problems including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, lack of sleep or other ailments. Sensors collect information from the simulator, including the position of the steering wheel, the brake and accelerator pedals. It's crucial feedback for researchers:

"It provides kind of a laboratory for seeing how a human being does in demanding circumstances, and also for seeing how damage in certain parts of the brain affects your ability to cope with very complex tasks," says Matthew Rizzo, M.D., UI neurology professor.

Sophisticated computer programs generate multiple driving scenarios, which are projected onto the screen around the simulator. It provides drivers with a front and back view of the road. Researchers use these scenarios to observe how drivers react, depending on their health problem:

"It's a really key aspect of mobility, and we want to know if people are safe or not in doing this. And why a simulator? Because a simulator gives objective data that's closer to driving than a paper and pencil test," says Rizzo.

Rizzo hopes these tests improve the ability to predict levels of risk in drivers, and to develop methods to reduce future injuries on the road.

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Matthew Rizzo, M.D.