8/3/2019 Book Review MFM JHTR Sweet

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J Head Trauma Rehabil

Vol. XX, No XX, pp. xxx

2XXXLippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Reviews

Charles D. Callahan, PhD, ABPP (Editor)

Forensic Neuropsychology:Fundamentals and Practice, byJerry J.Sweet (Ed). Exxton, Pa.: Swets & Zeitlinger;1999. 535 pages, hardcover.

The phenomenal growth of ClinicalNeuropsychology over the last decade owes

to its unique integration of recentdevelopments in the clinical neuroscienceswith behavioral and medical knowledge.

The understanding of brain behaviorrelationships derived from this integrationhas naturally led to neuropsychologistsplaying an increasingly important role in thecourts, especially for medicolegal casesinvolving personal injury, worker'scompensation and disability determination.Growing along with the developing

subspecialty of forensic neuropsychology isthe need for special guidelines andstandards for Clinical Neuropsychologistsengaged in medicolegal work. Recently, anumber of texts have appeared whichattempt to elucidate guidelines andstandards of practice for neuropsychologistsengaged in forensic work. Jerry Sweet'sedited volume is one of the most recent ofthese, and clearly stands out among them.In a manner that reflects an increasingmaturity, Jerry Sweets book reflects a non-defensive self-examination in the service ofa significant scientific advancement of thefield. Sweets book very eloquentlyaccomplishes its mission of developing ascientist practitioner model for integratingrelevant clinical neuropsychologicalknowledge and focused applications ofclinical practice methodologies within thecontext of adversarial legal proceedings.

The highest standards are applied by thistext in defining the objective scientificpractice of Forensic Neuropsychology andpresenting a scientist practitioner model forClinical Neuropsychology more generally.

The contributors were thoughtfully selectedand represent state-of-the-art thinkers in themost relevant areas. They uniformly offer

critical-self examination and a matureappreciation of complexity and practicalguidelines for objective scientific practiceand advancement and do an excellent job ofcombining expertise from ForensicNeuropsychology with Clinical Psychology.

The book is organized according to four

sections: Fundamentals, Practice Expertise,Relevant Populations, and Parameters of theForensic Arena. Chapters are thorough, wellconceived, stimulating and sometimes evenentertaining. The first section reviewsfundamental psychometrics, including athorough and current review of premorbidfunctioning and variables that can influenceneuropsychological findings, as well as toooften neglected symptom base rates, andsets the stage for the rest of the chapters.

The second section surveys the field and amodel for neuropsychological evaluationsthat includes evaluation of the biologicaland behavioral factors, including empiricallysupported guidelines for thoroughassessment of personality and emotionalfunctioning, that can produce abnormalneuropsychological test findings, andguidelines for interpretation. Acomprehensive understanding of multiple

determinants in interpreting apparentdeficits from neuropsychological test scoresare offered along with an interactionalneuropsychological model of functionaldisability. Malingering is reviewed in termsof the latest clinical research, includingstrategies for deception, a sophisticatedconceptualization, and useful suggestionsregarding detection methods. Additionalchapters present well integrated reviews ofexecutive functioning, consideration of

ecological validity with suggestions forenhancing the utility of predictions ofeveryday and vocational functioning, and anillustration of improved assessment ofmalingered cognitive deficits fromcombining neuropsychological andpsychophysiological methods.

The third section includes well-

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conceptualized, comprehensive and usefulchapters on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury,Neuropsychological Toxicology, andPediatric applications in the schools. Thefourth section begins with a succinct andinsightful summary of the legal environmentgermane to Clinical Neuropsychology and isfollowed by a delightfully irreverent chapterby Lees Haley and Cohen on expert witnesscredibility that offers useful relevantguidelines. They, along with Sweet, in hisconclusion chapter, and a few others, offerthe most useful available guidelines fordefending and promoting the scientific,ethical, objective and reasoned practice ofForensic Neuropsychology in an adversarialenvironment with contradictory ethics andinfluences.

This text earns few criticisms. Perhaps afew areas that were well covered could havebeen expanded even farther (e.g., ethics),but any work can be improved. Overall,Forensic Neuropsychology: Fundamentalsand Practice is an exceptional text. Itreviews the best models and practices in thefield and presents a scientist practitionerapproach to integrating relevant clinicalneuropsychological knowledge and focused

applications of practice methodologies forforensic settings. In this reviewers opinion,this text defines the objective scientificpractice of Forensic Neuropsychology thatshould also be the model for practice ofclinical neuropsychology generally. It isDaubert-friendly and full of useful guidelinesand recommendations consistent withobjective scientific practice. It should beconsidered required reading for allneuropsychologists.

REFERENCES

1. Martelli, M.F. (2000). Book Review of J.J.Sweet (ed.) Forensic Neuropsychology:Fundamentals and Practice (Exxton, PA: Swets& Zeitlinger. 1999). Journal of Head TraumaRehabilitation, 15, 4, 1073-1075.

Michael F. Martelli, PhD

Concussion Care Centre of

Virginia and Tree ofLifeGlen Allen, Virginia