Frontal Gamma Asymmetry as a Forensic Tool for Emotional Valence in a Murder Case Study

Abstract

In criminal cases, forensic evaluations often hinge on determining a defendant’s competence and intent. Assessing underlying emotional states presents unique challenges, as self‑reports may be unreliable or incomplete. In this exploratory single‑case study, we illustrate how psychological assessments can be combined with quantitative EEG (qEEG) and source localization techniques to examine neural markers of emotional processing in the context of a murder trial. Emotional valence toward key individuals and events was derived from a proprietary frontal gamma asymmetry protocol. Although this innovative metric offers unique insights, it has received limited independent replication and should therefore be interpreted cautiously and in conjunction with established measures such as frontal alpha asymmetry. Key procedural covariates, including the defendant’s medication (sertraline), were documented because serotonergic agents can modulate baseline asymmetry patterns. Findings indicated general alignment between neural patterns and reported affect, but we emphasize that these observations reflect preliminary insights from a single individual and require validation in larger samples before supporting broader forensic applications.