The Scientific Foundation of Neuropsychological Assessment

Neuropsychology is a specialized branch of psychology which focuses on the relationship between the brain and human functions including cognition, behaviour, and emotion. With an emphasis on a scientific approach which includes analysing quantitative data, neuropsychology follows an information processing approach to brain activity using standard assessments to evaluate various mental functions. This book examines the standardized battery of tests in neuropsychology, with a particular focus on forensic applications of these tests, suggesting that a united theory of assessment needs to be established. Bringing together multiple articles related to forensic neuropsychology, this book offers an exploration of the neurological and psychometric theoretical basis for standardized batteries as well as a comparison between flexible and standardized batteries. Ultimately, it is argued that a standardized battery of tests need to be used and explains the justification for the reliability of this approach, especially in relation to expert witness testimony. While doing this, formal procedures, including advanced mathematical procedures such as formulas and decision tree algorithms, are presented to be utilized in assessments.

With its thorough examination of the theoretical and practical applications of a standardized battery in neuropsychological assessment, this book will prove helpful to clinical practitioners and attorneys using assessment for their cases.

• Provides a unified theoretical basis for a standardized neuropsychological assessment battery
• Shows the justification for using neuropsychological assessment in forensic applications
• Offers practical examples which can be used to create a standardized assessment battery

Neuropsychologists, Lawyers

Foreword (David Faust)

Section One: Introduction

1: INTRODUCTORY HISTORY TO SCIENTIFIC NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT (E.W. Russell)

2: THE NATURE OF SCIENCE (E.W. Russell)

Section Two: Theoretical Foundation of Neurological Assessment

3: THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL BASIS OF ASSESSMENT (E.W. Russell)

4: BRAIN FUNCTION ANALYSIS (E.W. Russell)

5: FORMAL ANALYTIC METHODOLOGY (E.W. Russell)

6: NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL BATTERY PATTERNS (E.W. Russell)

Section Three: Justification of Formal Procedures

7: THE FUNDAMENTAL PSYCHOMETRIC STATUS OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL BATTERIES (E.W. Russell, S.L.K. Russell, B. Hill)

8: JUSTIFICATION OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL BATTERIES (E.W. Russell)

9: THE ACCURACY OF FORMAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL METHODS (E.W. Russell)

Section Four: Application to Forensics

10: THE DAUBERT POSITION ON STANDARDIZED AND FLEXIBLE BATTERIES (L. Lambert, C. Aronovitz)

11: THE USEFULNESS OF A VALIDATED NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL TEST BATTERY (B. Kolitz, S. L. K. Russell)

Section Five: Formal Neuropsychological Methods

12: IN DEFENSE OF THE HALSTEAD REITAN BATTERY (E.W. Russell)

13: IN DEFENSE OF THE HRB – REVISITED (E.W. Russell)

14: IMPLICATIONS OF VOLUNTEER NORMS (E.W. Russell)

15: THE MAJOR HALSTEAD REITAN BATTERY NORM SETS (E.W. Russell)