Opinion ID: 2718100
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dr. Michael Gold

Text: Dr. Michael Gold, a medical doctor practicing as a neurologist, testified that he performed a neurologic examination on defendant for purposes of the penalty phase trial. The examination included an interview with defendant and a general physical examination. It also included the following diagnostic tests to evaluate defendant‘s brain characteristics and function: (1) a brain wave or electroencephalogram (EEG) test; (2) a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan; and (3) a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scan, a 19 nuclear imaging test that employs glucose injected with radioactive material to measure brain activity. The physical examination revealed that defendant‘s general physical health was normal. The neurologic test, however, suggested that defendant perceived less sensation on the left side of his body. The left side of defendant‘s body also demonstrated different reflexes than the right side. The results of these tests indicated to Dr. Gold that something was affecting the right side of defendant‘s brain. Defendant‘s EEG test and MRI scans were normal. The SPECT scan, however, revealed an abnormality: a decrease in the utilization of the radioactively laced glucose in the temporal lobes. Based on the ―complimentary [sic]‖ results of defendant‘s physical exam and the SPECT scan, Dr. Gold diagnosed defendant with malfunction or abnormal function of both of his temporal lobes. The left temporal lobe is responsible for understanding, reading, speaking, and writing language, and the right temporal lobe is responsible for behavior, impulse control, and emotions.