Institute of Transportation, MOTC

　　Both persons with epilepsy and persons without epilepsy recruited for a prospective traffic accidents records were invited to perform experimental cognitive function tests of simple reaction time, choice reaction time and Stroop naming tasks in order to investigate the relationship between persons with epilepsy without and with being involved in traffic accidents in performance of cognitive function tasks and to find their risk factors.

　　Of the investigated traffic accidents, 14 (16.3%) occurred involving persons with epilepsy and 4 (4.9%) occurred involving persons without epilepsy. Three persons (3.5%) had seizures while driving, which resulted in traffic accidents. 11 (12.8%) persons with epilepsy had traffic accidents without seizures being a factor while driving. These results show that a seizure could result in a traffic accident and that persons with epilepsy had a higher frequency (12.8%) of traffic accidents without seizures being a factor while driving than persons without epilepsy (4.9%).

　　The results of the experimental cognitive function tasks showed that longer simple reaction time was found in those persons with epilepsy of a longer duration. Higher Stroop interference was also found in those persons with epilepsy of more severe brain damage in terms of severity and frequency of seizures, and paradoxically a shorter simple reaction time and lower Stroop interference was found in those persons with epilepsy having EEG abnormality. Furthermore, the results of these tasks showed a non-significantly longer simple reaction time and choice reaction time in persons with epilepsy experiencing traffic accidents without a seizure being a factor while driving.

　　In conclusion, a seizure could result in a traffic accident and persons with epilepsy had higher frequency of traffic accidents without seizures being a factor while driving than persons without epilepsy. No obvious disturbance of cognitive function in terms of the experimental tasks for simple reaction time, choice reaction time and Stroop interference among persons with epilepsy experiencing a traffic accident without a seizure being a factor while driving indicated that both brain damage in epilepsy and long-term effect of an antiepileptic drug didn’t play an important role regarding the adverse effects in cognitive function.