Expert Witness Journal Issue 64 December 2025 - Flipbook - Page 69
treatments available, that settlements truly re昀氀ect
the potential for meaningful recovery, and that the
legal process adapts to the realities of 21st-century
medicine. As we move further into an era of braincircuit-based therapeutics, Deep TMS stands as a
beacon of hope for the treatment-resistant patient
and a critical, transformative factor in the fair and
informed resolution of medicolegal claims.
Rush, A. J., et al. (2006). Acute and longer-term outcomes in
depressed outpatients requiring one or several treatment steps:
a STAR*D report. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163(11),
1905-1917.
5
6
Levkovitz, Y., et al. (2015). E昀케cacy and safety of deep
transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression: a
prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial. World
Psychiatry, 14(1), 64-73.
7
Bersani, F. S., et al. (2017). Deep Transcranial Magnetic
Stimulation as a Treatment for Psychiatric and Neurological
Disorders: A Comprehensive Review. European Psychiatry,
41(S1), S773-S774.
Reference
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Al-Harbi, K. S. (2012). Treatment-resistant depression:
therapeutic trends, challenges, and future directions. Patient
Preference and Adherence, 6, 369–388.
8
Donse, L., et al. (2018). Simultaneous rTMS and psychotherapy
in major depressive disorder: Clinical outcomes and predictors
from a large naturalistic study. Brain Stimulation, 11(2), 337345.
Roth, Y., et al. (2014). The physiological basis and
methodological aspects of non-invasive brain stimulation
using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and deep TMS.
Neurophysiologie Clinique/Clinical Neurophysiology, 44(1),
41-52.
2
9
Trevizol, A. P., et al. (2019). Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Naturalistic Study
Comparing Deep TMS with a H-Coil and Repetitive TMS with a
Figure-8 Coil. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 80(5).
3
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
(2015). Transcranial magnetic stimulation for treating
depression. [IPG542].
10
Tendler, A., et al. (2018). A prospective, multi-center,
randomized, controlled trial of deep TMS for treatmentresistant depression. Brain Stimulation, 11(2), 405-406.
Hoogendam, J. M., et al. (2010). Physiology of repetitive
transcranial magnetic stimulation of the human brain. Brain
Stimulation, 3(2), 95-118.
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Dr Behrouz Nabavi
General Adult Psychiatrist & Liaison Psychiatrist
MD, MSc, FRCPsych, Section 12 Approved Doctor
With over 20 years of senior clinical experience, including as a substantive NHS consultant, Dr Nabavi is a recognised leader in modern
psychiatric practice. He combines extensive general expertise with pioneering work in advanced neuromodulation therapies, offering a unique
and evidence-based perspective in his medicolegal assessments.
His clinical practice is at the forefront of psychiatric treatment, leading the Birmingham Neuromodulation Centre in providing Deep Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation (Deep TMS) for conditions including Major Depressive Disorder and OCD, and Transcranial Pulse Stimulation (TPS) for
cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Areas of Medicolegal Expertise:
Dr Nabavi has provided several hundred independent reports for Criminal and Civil Courts since 2006. His areas of instruction include:
•
•
•
•
Criminal Cases: Diagnosis of mental disorder, fitness to plead/stand trial, psychiatric defence, risk assessment, and sentencing/disposal
recommendations.
Civil Cases: Assessment of psychiatric injury following personal injury, trauma, and historical abuse (including PTSD, Depression, and
Anxiety Disorders).
Other Areas: Child Protection Proceedings (parental capacity), Immigration, Extradition, and Testamentary Capacity.
Specialist Insight: Particular expertise in cases involving Adult ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, PTSD, Complex PTSD, historic sexual abuse,
and complex presentations where standard treatments have failed, informed by his work in neuromodulation and pharmacogenetics.
Dr Nabavi’s aim is to deliver clear, robust, and contemporary medicolegal opinions that reflect the latest advancements in psychiatric care.
Committed to providing prompt, thorough reports to the highest professional standards, typically within 2-4 weeks, with consideration for
urgent requests.
Email: info@psychiatrist-medicolegal.co.uk | Telephone: 0800 233 5828
Website: www.psychiatrist-medicolegal.co.uk
Practice Manager: NRBS Consultant Limited, PO BOX 17254, Birmingham, B16 6US
EXPERT WITNESS JOURNAL
66
DECEMBER/JANUARY 2025-2026
