A - 64 The Neuropsychology of Lost Person Behavior: Case Studies of Lost Persons with Substance Intoxication, Dementia, and Intact Cognitive Status.

Abstract

The location of lost persons by Search and Rescue teams is often achieved through statistical analyses based on previous cases, however, the impact of neuropsychological functioning on the behavior of lost persons has not been explored. Information about how the neuropsychological profile of various lost persons can inform the behavior of those persons will substantially assist Search and Rescue efforts. This poster examines 3 case studies of lost persons: an individual with dementia lost in a small city, an intoxicated man in his 20s lost in the woods, and a cognitively intact middle-aged man lost at the top of a mountain. The author describes each case and how the neuropsychological profile of a person with dementia, an intoxicated individual, and a person without cognitive deficits can inform lost person behavior. The poster highlights key factors in identifying how neuropsychological functioning in various profiles will influence how the lost person behaves. The results of the lost person behavior and their executive functioning profiles are compared and contrasted. The author provides information about how neuropsychological profile of individuals with dementia, intoxication, and intact functioning influence how these persons behave when lost. This information may be used to assist Search and Rescue teams in more quickly and efficiently finding lost persons.