Neurotoxic complaint base rates of personal injury claimants: implications for neuropsychological assessment.
This study reports base rate data for 113 family practice patients with no history of head trauma or toxic exposure, 68 family practice patients with a history of head trauma or toxic exposure, and 156 personal injury claimants with no history of toxic exposure or head trauma who presented for a psychological evaluation due to emotional distress. Personal injury claimants reported suffering from significantly more neurotoxic and neuropsychologic symptoms than subjects with a reported history of head trauma and/or toxic exposure. The authors urge that evaluating psychologists consider the base rate of these symptoms in litigating populations and use caution in relying on self-reported symptoms as evidence of injury when patients are in litigation.
Dunn
J T
JT
Lees-Haley Psychological Corporation, Encino, California, USA.
Lees-Haley
P R
PR
Brown
R S
RS
Williams
C W
CW
English
L T
LT
D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D007603:Jurisprudence; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors