Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 17, 2025

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra

Published on: September 8, 2021

Under-Interpretation of Neuroimaging Data in Insanity Assessment: A Hidden Risk.

Camilla Frangi¹, Alexa Schincariol^1,2, Pietro Pietrini³

¹Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

Behavioral Sciences & the Law

|July 2, 2025

Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Long-term effects following prenatal cocaine exposure: A systematic review.

PloS one·2026

Same author

Preliminary evidence of kinematic overlap in posed, but not spontaneous, facial expressions of fear and surprise.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

Managing Dual Diagnosis Patients and the Importance of Assessing Capacity: Data from London Inpatient Services.

Brain sciences·2025

Same author

101 Dalmatians: a multimodal naturalistic fMRI dataset in typical development and congenital sensory loss.

Scientific data·2025

Same author

Multimodal Morphometric Similarity Network Analysis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Brain sciences·2025

Same author

Neurofind: using deep learning to make individualised inferences in brain-based disorders.

Translational psychiatry·2025

Same journal

A Narrative Review on Juvenile Offense and the Impact and Implications of Internalizing Disorders.

Behavioral sciences & the law·2026

Same journal

Behavioral and Cognitive Equivalence Threshold: Foundations for the Practical Extension of Atkins and Roper.

Behavioral sciences & the law·2026

Same journal

The Adverse Childhood Experiences Paradigm and Forensic/Correctional Populations: A Scoping Review.

Behavioral sciences & the law·2026

Same journal

Front-End Governance of Juvenile Cybercrime in China: Platform Accountability, Risk Mitigation, and Tri-Partite Collaboration.

Behavioral sciences & the law·2026

Same journal

Mitigating, Aggravating, or Both? A Review of Context-Dependent Factors in Sentencing Decisions.

Behavioral sciences & the law·2026

Same journal

"Evil is Real and Attitude is Everything": Applying Shattered Assumptions Theory to Worldview Changes Following Wrongful Conviction.

Behavioral sciences & the law·2026

See all related articles

This summary is machine-generated.

Under-interpretation of neuroimaging in insanity evaluations can lead to errors. A forensic case highlights the need for careful interpretation and a multidisciplinary approach in forensic neuroscience.

Area of Science:

Forensic Neuroscience
Neuroimaging in Legal Contexts

Background:

Neuroimaging offers insights for insanity evaluations, but its legal application remains debated.
Risks of over-interpretation are recognized, yet under-interpretation errors are less scrutinized.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate how under-interpretation of neuroimaging can impact insanity evaluations.
To highlight a neglected issue in forensic neuroscience through a case study.

Main Methods:

Case study analysis of an Italian forensic evaluation.
Detailed discussion of neuroimaging findings in a defendant with intellectual disability and psychotic symptoms.

Main Results:

Brain abnormalities in the defendant were misinterpreted as normal variations.

Keywords:

cognitive bias criminal liability expert witness forensic psychiatry insanity defence law neuroimaging neuroscience

More Related Videos

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Published on: August 18, 2020

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 17, 2025

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra

Standardized Data Acquisition for Neuromelanin-Sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Substantia Nigra

Published on: September 8, 2021

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Published on: August 18, 2020

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Published on: March 14, 2025

This under-interpretation potentially influenced the insanity evaluation outcome.

Conclusions:

Under-interpretation of neuroimaging is a critical error in forensic neuroscience.
A multidisciplinary approach and strict adherence to interpretation guidelines are recommended to minimize errors in insanity evaluations.