Forensic Neuropsychology

Full course description

Defendants in criminal cases increasingly state that they do not have any memory of the offence. This raises the question whether this is  a valid defence. Furthermore, defendants (and witnesses) with traumatic brain injury, , and/or who are intoxicated with substances (alcohol, drugs) are becoming more common in legal settings. How accurate are their statements? Criminal courts are becoming increasingly aware of the unique and important contribution of neuropsychological assessment  to forensic mental health evaluations. Neuropsychologists are being asked to prepare reports in both civil and criminal cases: physical/psychological injury cases, and competency assessment (competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility). A neuropsychological evaluation is typically based on multiple sources of information (case files, medical files, neuropsychological assessment, etc.). The most difficult part of the assessment is often the interpretation of the neuropsychological evaluation within the legally relevant criteria. Because every expert witness  could  be confronted with neuropsychological issues, it is important to have basic knowledge on brain structure and function, brain-behaviour relationships, neuropsychological assessment and legal issues related to neuropsychology. In addition, the use of brain imaging techniques to assess defendants, to explain or underscore specific  brain-behaviour relationships, is becoming increasingly common. But what is the probative value of such brain images in individual cases? Given the increased demand for forensic psychological experts, it is crucial they have expertise in neuropsychology.