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  • Perspective
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Forensic neurology: a distinct subspecialty at the intersection of neurology, neuroscience and law

Nature Reviews Neurology volume 20, pages 183–193 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

Neurological evidence is increasingly used in criminal cases to argue that a defendant is less responsible for their behaviour, is not competent to stand trial or should receive a reduced punishment for the crime. Unfortunately, neurologists are rarely involved in such cases despite having the expertise to help to inform these decisions in court. In this Perspective, we advocate for the development of ‘forensic neurology’, a subspecialty of neurology focused on using neurological clinical and scientific expertise to address legal questions for the criminal justice system. We review literature suggesting that the incidence of criminal behaviour is higher in people with certain neurological disorders than the general public and that undiagnosed neurological abnormalities are common in people who commit crimes. We discuss the need for forensic neurologists in criminal cases to provide an opinion on what neurological diagnoses are present, the resulting symptoms and ultimately whether the symptoms affect legal determinations such as criminal responsibility or competency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Division Behavioral Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA

    R. Ryan Darby & Ciaran Considine

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Robert Weinstock & William C. Darby

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R.R.D. conceptualized the article. All authors researched data for the article. All authors contributed substantially to discussion of the content. R.R.D. wrote the article. All authors reviewed and/or edited the manuscript before submission.

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Correspondence to R. Ryan Darby.

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All authors have worked as paid expert witnesses in criminal cases.

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Nature Reviews Neurology thanks Bruce Price, who co-reviewed with Shyam Akula; Jane Moriarty; and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Darby, R.R., Considine, C., Weinstock, R. et al. Forensic neurology: a distinct subspecialty at the intersection of neurology, neuroscience and law. Nat Rev Neurol 20, 183–193 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41582-023-00920-0

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