Clinical neuropsychologists frequently evaluate individuals within a forensic context, and therefore must address questions regarding the possible presence of reduced effort, response bias and/or malingering. This volume offers a wide range of instructive real-world case examples involving the complex differential diagnosis where symptom exaggeration and/or malingering cloud the picture. Written by expert forensic neuropsychologists, the scenarios described provide informed, empirically-based and scientifically-derived opinions on the topic. Issues related to malingering, such as response bias and insufficient effort, are discussed thoroughly with regard to a large number of clinical conditions and assessment instruments. Test data and non-test information are considered and integrated by the numerous experts. Expert guidance for clinicians who must address the issue of malingering is provided in a straightforward and well-organized format. To date, there has not been a comparable collection of rich case material relevant to forensic practice in clinical neuropsychology.

Written specifically for the clinical neuropsychologist who does forensic consultations, the book is a comprehensive review by experts of the procedures available to evaluate malingered neuropsychological deficits. It discusses tools for detecting atypical patterns of performance on standard clinical tests as well as malingering on measures of perception and sensorimotor function, of attention, processing speed, and memory, and of executive function. The underpinnings of the forensic neuropsychology enterprise are presented in chapters on definitions of malingering, research designs for its evaluation, data on the frequency with which malingering occurs, diagnostic classification statistics, symptom validity tests that do not depend on forced choice testing, and those that do. Guidance on assessing exaggerated psychiatric symptoms; exaggerated medical symptoms and injuries; and detecting malingering during the neurological exam is also included. Of particular note is a chapter devoted to the topic of coaching. The book closes with a review of the diagnostic criteria for malingering and looks to the future with evidence-based proposals for improving the criteria.

Use of a structured fact-finding approach that is based on sound clinical judgment and applied flexibility facilitates good clinical decision making and patient care in neuropsychology. This Casebook is a standardized approach to fact-finding that training programs at various levels can use to help trainees develop significant evaluation skills such as case conceptualization, differential diagnosis, and recommendations for patients with a wide range of presenting problems.

Casebook of Clinical Neuropsychology features actual clinical neuropsychological cases drawn from leading experts' files. Each chapter represents a different case completed by a different expert. Cases cover the lifespan from child, to adult, to geriatric, and the types of cases will represent a broad spectrum of prototypical cases of well-known and well-documented disorders as well as some rarer disorders. Chapter authors were specifically chosen for their expertise with particular disorders. When a practitioner is going to see a child or an adult with "X" problem, they can turn to the "case" and find up to date critical information to help them understand the issues related to the diagnosis, a brief synopsis of the literature, the patient's symptom presentation, the evaluation including neuropsychological test results and other results from consultants, along with treatments and recommendations. Clinical cases represent a long-established tradition as a teaching vehicle in the clinical sciences, most prominently in medicine and psychology. Case studies provide the student with actual clinical material - data in the form of observations of the patient, examination/test data, relevant history, and related test results - all of which must be integrated into a diagnostic conclusion and ultimately provide the patient with appropriate recommendations. Critical to this educational/heuristic process is the opportunity for the reader to view the thought processes of the clinician that resulted in the conclusions and recommendations offered. With the science of the disorder as the foundation of this process, readers learn how the integration of multiple sources of data furthers critical thinking skills.

Featuring compelling case presentations from experienced neuropsychologists, this volume offers a window into the complexities of conducting forensic assessments and serving as an expert witness. Covering both the civil and criminal arenas, the contributors demonstrate evidence-based procedures for evaluating premorbid functioning, competency, malingering, and other forensic issues. Each case includes step-by-step details on the clinical interview, behavioral observations, neuropsychological test results, and preparation for deposition or courtroom testimony. The concluding "Ask the Experts" section provides a thought-provoking Q&A on salient professional and ethical issues. An ideal format for translating science to practice, the casebook yields valuable insights on navigating the twists and turns of the legal system.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Introduction -- 1. Head Injury. 2. Cerebrovascular Disease. 3. Dementia. 4. Epilepsy. 5. Brain Tumors, Cysts, and Abscesses. 6. Long-Term Alcohol Abuse. 7. Adult Presentation of Learning Disorders. 8. Conscious or Nonconscious Feigning of Deficits.