This week we were asked to find an empirical research paper. I found mine on an Open Access Journal of Forensic Psychology. This article is about how people with seizures should be evaluated by a forensic psychologist when they have a violent outbreak or an assault. This article tells the reader what epilepsy is and the different kinds of it. It tells us about a very interesting case of a man going to sleep, being violent toward his girlfriend at 2am, then waking up later (after being arrested and going to ER for evaluation) with no recollection of the incident. It is a highly interesting article that, if you enjoy anything I have posted, you will definitely want to read this.
This article introduced me to different areas of studies of the mind. I worked in the ER at Balboa Hospital for roughly 3.5 years and have seen many seizures. This article made me really think about the dangers of seizures if they are not monitored. I did not realize they could get violent like the case described. This article has helped me realize that forensic psychology is another field that had a lot of different categories in it also. I feel like my research skills are improving drastically! I did not realize there are so many different forms of research out there!
"The issue of automatism (non-volitional actions carried out in an unconscious state) sometimes arises in assessments of mental state at the time of offense. Epileptoid automatism has been observed in the medical and forensic literature. Forensic psychologists should consider the possibility of epileptoid automatism when presented with a defendant who has committed a seemingly senseless crime, especially for defendants with a history of seizure disorder, head injury, or other neurological insult. Crimes that require planning, take place over a more extended period, and have an obvious motive are unlikely to be caused by epilepsy."
An Unusual Case of Epileptic Postictal Violence:
Implication for Criminal Responsibility
Eric G. Mart, Ph.D., ABPP, Forensic
Manchester, NH, United States
http://www.forensicpsychologyunbound.ws/OAJFP/Case_Studies_files/Mart%202010.pdf
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