Aphasia and the expert medical witness.

Psychiatrists have recently been criticized from within and outside the profession for rendering professional opinion in instances where their qualifications are inadequate. In forensic psychiatry, the problem of predicting dangerousness is a notable example. The forensic psychiatrist may also be called to testify as to the present or future competency of the aphasic patient. It therefore behooves the medical expert to be fully aware of the new developments within the field of aphasiology so that in cases involving aphasia the best combined expert testimony can be rendered the court.