Have you ever wondered what a neuropsychologist can do in court?Neuropsychology is known to take into account the relationship between the brain and cognitive, behavioral and emotional functioning, all of which help to better understand many of the disorders and difficulties of daily life. Within the discipline there are divisions related to the type of application of knowledge, one is forensic neuropsychology.
This discipline has been the focus of attention since the 1980s, thanks to the usefulness it can have in some court cases, so it is interesting to understand what it is and what its possible applications are, this, for example, will tell us when it is necessary to consult a specialist.
- Forensic neuropsychology refers to the applications of knowledge in the field of neuropsychology in legal matters.
- Experts in this discipline testify when judging people who have a certain type of cognitive impairment or impairment.
- So this professional assumes the initiative in cases where those with the damage seek compensation.
In history, psychologists began to gain importance as witnesses in the field of law in 1960, thanks to the iconic Jenkins vs. Jenkins. Judgment in the United States. The District of Columbia Court of Appeals recognizes that the mental health expert council can be very helpful in many cases.
Still, forensic psychology did not arise until the early 1980s, especially due to the following factors:
As explained above, forensic neuropsychology translates models, methodology, instrumentation and knowledge of clinical neuropsychology into a legal context.
It assumes ideas and operates mainly in the forensic field, thanks to the problems and situations it faces, that is, in the purpose it has, regardless of whether the person has cognitive impairments or not, but how these difficulties affect the specific event that is considered legally.
The main tasks of the forensic neuropsychologist in civil and criminal cases have been determined as follows:
Therefore, the objective of this discipline is to make a sensitive and reliable identification of the disorders, based on a description of them and establishing a relationship with the central nervous system, as well as make future recommendations that include assessment and treatment.
The neuropsychological report is carried out when the assessment has already been carried out, thanks to it all the results found during the evaluation are indicated, it is still important to note that, depending on the field of neuropsychology, they have different objectives and then we will establish the points in common and those that are different.
For starters, let’s start with the common ground
However, there are also significant differences with the forensic neuropsychology report, in the latter case the causal indication between the injury and the resulting changes, in particular those related to the effects on the development of its work and domestic activities, must first be included. needs to be clarified.
Secondly, the level of disability of the person assigned to carry out the above-mentioned activities must be determined, the difficulties he may have at work, or his inability to do so must be explicit.
Finally, it is necessary to indicate if these sequelae are stable, have the possibility of improvement or, on the contrary, can worsen, this will depend on the type of compensation or damage they may suffer in the long term.
These applications can be divided into two main areas of the law: they can have a significant impact on verdicts issued in a trial or negotiation.
In this case, several aspects can be included
Criminal law is another area of law in which neuropsychology gains ground, especially when pathologies linked to brain damage appear.
In addition, it can identify rare symptoms that are not caused by neurological pathologies, which may include increased simulations or cognitive deficits due to psychiatric disorders. Key areas of activity include:
Finally, it is important to understand that legal neuropsychology, although it is a recent discipline, has had a significant impact on its field of work, in fact, the functioning of our brain can have a significant impact on the decisions that can be made over the course of a process. judicial process, conditioning in many cases the direction of a verdict.