SEVEN MAJOR FLAWS IN MEDICAL-LEGAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS

Kyle Brauer Boone, Ph.D., ABPP (CN)
Professor, California School of Forensic Studies
Alliant International Unversity, Los Angeles, CA, USA

The role of clinical neuropsychologists as expert witness in civil medical-legal cases involving brain injury and associated cognitive dysfunction is dramatically increasing. This workshop will discuss common errors in neuropsychological reports submitted as evidence in medical-legal proceedings, including:  inadequate assessment of effort, conclusions at variance with published literature, failure to consider all relevant etiologies, over-interpretation of lowered scores, lack of understanding of normal variability, use of test results to document “brain injury,” and incorrect interpretation of the MMPI-2 instruments.  Case examples will be provided, as well as a discussion of relevant empirical literature associated with each of the above issues.  This workshop is targeted for participants with beginning to intermediate knowledge in the area; participants will achieve the following objectives:  (1) be able to identify common errors in medical legal neuropsychological reports, (2)  have an understanding of the importance of basing conclusions on empirical literature, and (3) be knowledgeable regarding approaches to presenting data and conclusions in medical-legal reports.