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.

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.

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.

Featuring updates and revisions, the second edition of Clinical Neuropsychology provides trainee and practicing clinicians with practical, real-world advice on neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation. Offers illustrated coverage of neuroimaging techniques and updates on key neuro-pathological findings underpinning neurodegenerative disorders Features increased coverage of specialist areas of work, including severe brain injury, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, assessing mental capacity, and cognitive impairment and driving Features updated literature and increased coverage of topics that are of direct clinical relevance to trainee and practicing clinical psychologists Includes chapters written by professionals with many years' experience in the training of clinical psychologists

This book provides a comprehensive and critical review of the recent literature in selected topics in clinical neuropsychology. The chapters, written by authors with a history of scholarship and expertise, will review recent articles applicable to clinical neuropsychology and related disciplines, having sufficient theoretical importance to influence the direction of practice and future investigations.

Neuropsychological assessment is a difficult and complicated process. Often, experienced clinicians as well as trainees and students gloss over fundamental problems or fail to consider potential sources of error. Since formal test data on the surface appear unambiguous and objective, they may fall into the habit of overemphasizing tests and their scores and underemphasizing all the factors that affect the validity, reliability, and interpretability of test data. But interpretation is far from straightforward, and a pragmatic application of assessment results requires attention to a multitude of issues. This long-awaited, updated, and greatly expanded second edition of the Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, like the first, focuses on the clinical practice of neuropsychology. Orienting readers to the entire multitude of issues, it guides them step by step through evaluation and helps them avoid common misconceptions, mistakes, and methodological pitfalls. It is divided into three sections: fundamental elements of the assessment process; special issues, settings, and populations; and new approaches and methodologies. The authors, all of whom are actively engaged in the clinical practice of neuropsychological assessment, as well as in teaching and research, do an outstanding job of integrating the academic and the practical. The Clinician's Guide to Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition will be welcomed as a text for graduate courses but also as an invaluable hands-on handbook for interns, postdoctoral fellows, and experienced neuropsychologists alike. No other book offers its combination of breadth across batteries and approaches, depth, and practicality.