Neuropsychological Assessment in The Forensic Context: A Scoping Review

Abstract

The introduction of neuropsychologists in legal practice allowed for the field of forensic neuropsychology to arise. However, it is still a recent field of knowledge that is in continuous development. The existing literature highlights the incipience of studies in this area and the need for adaptation of instruments and methods. Thus, this scoping review aims to analyze how neuropsychological assessment has been employed so far in the forensic context. In order to do this, a search and a follow-up were conducted in the databases PsycInfo, Scopus and Web of Science. The query used for both searches was "(neuropsychological assessment OR neuropsychological test)" AND "forensic" OR "forensic neuropsychology". Initially, 1001 papers were identified, and after a two-stage screening process, 83 articles were included for analysis. Regarding neuropsychological assessment, the most investigated constructs were cognitive levels, memory and symptom validity. The heterogeneity of employed instruments we found in the studies evidenced the great existing variability in forensic neuropsychological practice. Among the most assessed populations were individuals with psychiatric, psychological or neurological diagnoses and male adult detainees in general. With this review, we expect to provide an overview on the current state of forensic neuropsychology, as well as information that may serve as a starting point for new research and further developments in the field.