ABSTRACT
Forensic neuropsychology, the application of clinical neuropsychological knowledge to forensic activities (i.e., litigation, administrative proceedings, consultations to attorneys and courts, disability determination), is neither a new nor an unfamiliar practice area for most clinical neuropsychologists. In fact, a number of professional practice surveys have demonstrated that involvement in forensic activities is relatively commonplace and that attorneys are a relatively frequent source of referrals for practicing neuropsychologists (e.g., Sweet, Moberg, & Suchy, 2000; Sweet, Nelson, & Moberg, 2006). Moreover, the relevant scientific peer-reviewed literature pertaining to forensic neuropsychology has grown dramatically since 1990. The strong evidence of this fact was documented by Sweet, King, Malina, Bergman, and Simmons (2002), who catalogued the entire peer-reviewed contents of the three most popular clinical neuropsychology journals from 1990 through 2000. During this period of time, articles pertaining to forensic practice increased from 4% in 1990 to 14% in 2000. The total number of published articles that addressed forensic practice during this interval was 139. Most relevant to the present casebook, 120 (86%) of these articles were in part or in whole focused on the topic of malingering. Sweet et al. in the same study also examined the content of conference presentations in published abstracts from national meetings that were contained in the same three clinical neuropsychology journals from 1990 through 2000. Forensic presentations at national meetings accounted for 1% of the program content in 1990 and 10% in 2000. As was the case with the forensic articles, the majority of forensic presentations at conferences addressed malingering. Specifically, of 337 forensic presentations, 242 (72%) addressed malingering.
