title: Evaluating amnesia for criminal behavior: a guide to remember.
abstract: This article provides a guide that is important to remember in evaluating a criminal defendant's amnesia claim. Important concepts to understand regarding memory formation, memory systems, proposed causes of amnesia, reasons why amnesia claims may be true or false, and important strategies to implement as part of the evaluation process are reviewed. Structured assessment approaches are critical components of amnesia evaluations and generally require detailed questioning, review of collateral records, medical and neurologic workups, psychological testing, neuropsychological testing, and specific malingering assessments.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychiatry and the Law, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center, 2230 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. charles.scott@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: Charles L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia / Q000523:psychology*; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008306:Malingering / Q000523:psychology; D008568:Memory / Q000145:classification; D011581:Psychological Tests