Frangi Camilla, Schincariol Alexa, Pietrini Pietro, Sartori Giuseppe, Ferracuti Stefano, Scarpazza Cristina
Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Behav Sci Law. 2025 Sep-Oct;43(5):530-545. doi: 10.1002/bsl.70006. Epub 2025 Jul 2.
Neuroimaging data can provide valuable insights into insanity evaluations, but the debate over its use for legal purposes is far from resolved. While much attention has been given to the risks of over-interpretation, potential errors stemming from under-interpretation received less scrutiny. In this paper, we aim to showcase how this error may influence the results of an insanity evaluation by presenting an Italian forensic case. The defendant presented with intellectual disability and psychotic symptoms coupled with multiple brain abnormalities that were interpreted as variant of normal neuroanatomy. The case is discussed in detail. This article offers an insight into a neglected issue in forensic neuroscience, destined to gain prominence as this discipline becomes increasingly important in criminal justice systems worldwide. We recommend the use of a multidisciplinary approach to insanity to reduce the likelihood of error. In this context, neuroimaging can play an important role, and its interpretation should strictly adhere to guidelines to minimize the possibility of both over-interpretation and under-interpretation.
神经影像学数据能够为精神错乱评估提供有价值的见解，但围绕其用于法律目的的争论远未解决。尽管人们对过度解读的风险给予了诸多关注，但因解读不足而产生的潜在错误却较少受到审视。在本文中，我们旨在通过呈现一个意大利法医案例，展示这种错误可能如何影响精神错乱评估的结果。被告存在智力残疾和精神症状，同时伴有多种脑异常，这些异常被解释为正常神经解剖结构的变体。该案例将进行详细讨论。本文深入探讨了法医神经科学中一个被忽视的问题，随着这一学科在全球刑事司法系统中变得越来越重要，这个问题注定会受到更多关注。我们建议采用多学科方法进行精神错乱评估，以降低出错的可能性。在这种情况下，神经影像学可以发挥重要作用，其解读应严格遵循指导方针，以尽量减少过度解读和解读不足的可能性。
