forensic expert & clinician
Forensic Neuropsychological Assessment: A Comprehensive Guide
Assessments are available for individuals with a wide range of disabilities with various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Learn more from Dr. Wood here.
Understanding the Neuropsychological Assessment
Many factors lead to brain dysfunction, including a traumatic brain injury, genetics, and progressive disorders.
Neuropsychological evaluations gauge how well a person’s brain is working. They assess a person’s mental status using scientifically validated neuropsychological principles.
Clinical neuropsychologists evaluate brain function and performance through a thorough assessment of skills and abilities. They are conducted when there is reason to believe that a traumatic brain injury or neurological or psychiatric disorders have affected a person’s mental status. They play a huge role in criminal litigation.
Forensic neuropsychologists evaluate a patient’s attention, memory, problem-solving skills, IQ levels, emotional functioning, social functioning, etc. Many people confuse neuropsychological evaluations with tests like MRI and CT scans.
What Is Forensic Neuroscience?
Neuroscience psychology is an interdisciplinary field that integrates various disciplines, including psychology, biology, chemistry, and physics.
Forensic neuroscience examines the regulation of psychopathic, criminal, antisocial, and sociopathic behaviors in relation to the neural mechanisms that determine them.
Theoretically, these behaviors are seen as arising not from an individual’s failure to know right from wrong but from neural mechanisms that may be malfunctioning.
What Are Neuropsychology Tests, and How Are They Conducted?
Neuropsychological tests are an essential part of a neuropsychological evaluation. The tasks are specially designed to measure a psychological function known to be linked to a particular brain function.
The evaluation areas are determined by the patient’s referral from the doctor, observations made from the interview and test administration, and the patient’s symptoms.
The neuropsychologist compares the test results with the average ability of people in the same age group, socioeconomic group, education level, etc.
The results obtained from neuropsychological tests significantly differentiate between neurological and forensic psychiatric patients and can be used to diagnose the problem.
Board Certified
in Geropsychology
One of the nation’s leading experts in the areas of forensic neuropsychology and geropsychology, Dr. Stacey Wood has vast experience as an expert witness in California and nationwide.
Years of Experience
Expert Analysis
Trials and Depositions
Board Certified
in Geropsychology
One of the nation’s leading experts in the areas of forensic neuropsychology and geropsychology, Dr. Stacey Wood has vast experience as an expert witness in California and nationwide.
Years of Experience
Expert Analysis
Trials and Depositions
Get help on
your next case
Get a hand from a proven California expert witness with deep experience in forensic neuropsychology.
What Are Examples of Neuropsychological Testing?
A forensic neuropsychologist conducts these tests to evaluate functioning in different dimensions, including:
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understanding, attention, and concentration
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problem-solving and reasoning
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learning and memory
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language and verbal ability
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motor and sensory skills
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visual and spatial perception
What Is Included in a Neuropsychological Assessment?
Forensic and clinical neuropsychological assessments similarly use cognitive tests to understand the brain’s functioning. However, their aims are different.
A forensic neuropsychological evaluation includes mental testing, behavioral function testing, and cognitive assessment of the brain processes.
A forensic neuropsychology expert will include a structured interview in the neural psychological assessment. It is a medical necessity to look at your medical history, performance at work, and educational records.
Why Get a Forensic Neuropsychological Evaluation?
Forensic neuropsychology is an area of clinical neuropsychology. A forensic neuropsychological assessment can be used to answer legal questions in civil or criminal cases.
Neuropsychological testing in a forensic setting aims to determine whether a person has a psychological condition caused by a disease, injury, or disorder of the brain or nervous system.
These tests generally involve answering simple questions using a pencil and paper or a computer.
Depending on your cognitive function level, a decisional capacity expert will use neuropsychological assessment tools to determine if you can make decisions for yourself or if you need an alternative decision-maker.
What Is the Goal of a Neuropsychological Assessment?
A forensic neuropsychological assessment aims to:
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evaluate the pattern of brain-related strengths and weaknesses
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understand the nature and origin of the difficulties
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diagnose the problem
Neuropsychological assessments can be used to make specific recommendations for appropriate intervention and treatment in the clinical setting. However, in a forensic setting, the results are often used as evidence in court.
Clinical vs. Forensic Neurological Assessment
Both clinical and forensic neuropsychological evaluations aim to evaluate the brain’s functioning using cognitive tests.
The critical difference between them is that a clinic seeks to help the patient. In contrast, a neuropsychological assessment in a civil or criminal forensic setting aims to discover actual facts in a criminal or civil case.
Also, in a forensic neuropsychological evaluation:
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a third party requests them
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results are communicated among the patient, the expert witness, and the requestor (often the patient’s attorney)
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a restricted scope has been developed in response to the legal matter
What Is a Neuropsychological Assessment?
Neural psychological testing focuses on logical reasoning and behavioral control. They aim to:
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identify strengths and weaknesses.
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develop an understanding of the nature and origin of the difficulties
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make a diagnosis
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provide specific recommendations for appropriate intervention and treatment
You may benefit from a forensic neuropsychological assessment if you are dealing with a legal matter that involves a traumatic brain injury, diseases that are known to diminish mental capacity, or someone of advanced age. Contact a forensic neuropsychologist with experience to evaluate your case.