Disorders of Executive Functions: Civil and Criminal Law Applications

The demands and expectations of a psychologist or neuropsychologist in a courtroom are different from those in a clinical practice. The challenges to and scrutiny of one's basic credentials, training, expertise, and conclusions can be intimidating. The contributors of Disorders of Executive Functions display obvious knowledge of these demands and challenges. Law and neuropsychology of executive functions will be increasingly intertwined as findings are applied to forensic settings and situations. In instances where executive impairment is suspected, this book will assist the forensic evaluator to demonstrate the relationship between frontal lobe impairment and criminal/civil behavior. Disorders of Executive Functions was written not only for professionals in psychology and neuropsychology, but also for plaintiff and defense attorneys and judges, rehabilitation and insurance professionals. Specific, on-point issues are addressed within each chapter with specific references and suggested readings. This source book presents realistic examples and case studies, then prepares the reader for litigation situations. Heavily illustrated, it provides numerous checklists, tables, and interview formats. Sample tests and evaluation, an extensive glossary, and an exhaustive list of core readings are also included.

Table of Contents:
Forensic Neuropsychology and Claims of Personal Injury-Roland S. Parker The forensic neuropsychologist in the legal setting What phase of litigation is best for involving the neuropsychologist? The neuropsychologist's role as an educator In-depth coverage of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Misleading reports Ethics Trial preparation Criminal-Forensic Neuropsychology of Disorders of Executive Functions-Harold V. Hall Executive functioning and violent response patterns The neuropsychologist's role when working with the plaintiff defense side Legal issues and decision analysis Case and clinical examples Specific tests, assessment and theories Accounting for distortion and deception Violence typologies Linkage of deficits and criminal behavior Neurolinguistic Aspects of Frontal Lobe Deficits-B.L.J. Kaczmarek Frontal lobes and control of verbal behavior Extensive tables, graphs, and examples Neurobehavioral and Neuroimaging Data in the Medical-Legal Context-Ruben C. Gur and Raquel E. Gur Neuroimaging techniques Regional brain function and behavior Method of integrating behavior and neuroimaging data Present limitations of neuroimaging technology Implications for legal practices Chapter 5 Epileptic-Related Executive Dysfunction and Violent Crime-Robert J. Sbordone Epilepsy and its relation to executive dysfunction and violent crimes Research on ictal and interictal violence Demonstrating Relationships Between Natural History, Assessment Results, and Functional Loss in Civil Proceedings-Paul J. Bach Problems of ecological validity Describing natural history of frontal lobe syndromes Linkage of Evaluation and Crime Behavior: Inventory of Defendant Competencies of Self-Control-Harold V. Hall Model for linkage of executive-related deficits and offensive behavior Effective performance during violence sequence Recovery period behaviors Forensic neuropsychological evaluation/judicial considerations Federal rules of evidence applied to forensic experts Examination and cross-examination Index