Vernon, Laura

The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution guarantees all United States citizens the right to a fair trial. However, that right has not been made equally accessible to all defendants in the criminal justice system due to the underfunding of Public Defender’s offices nationwide. This thesis examines the impact of this underfunding on indigent criminal defendants and analyzes social psychology research to understand the psychological biases that help explain this underfunding, and how they might be overcome. Evidence suggests that the disproportionate government expenditure on the State Attorney and underfunding of the Public Defender has led to a skewed legal system that favors not only the prosecutor, but also the white, abled, and wealthy. I argue that to support a criminal justice system that aligns with the values of equality and justice, the Public Defender must be properly funded to fulfill its adversarial role.

This exploratory investigation seeks to evaluate the efficacy of Neurofeedback (NFB) Training Therapy, a type of biofeedback that works with the brain’s natural capacity for plasticity, as a viable treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Strengthening connections among remaining neurons despite neurogenesis may benefit patients. However, the vast array of methodologies utilizing different technologies and focusing on varying brain waves makes it challenging to determine the true efficacy of the treatment methods, especially when compounded with the number of disorders each method is claimed to treat. Therefore, this investigation aims to address 1) technology that will best target specific brain areas, and 2) the most suitable NBF protocols for patients with AD. Taken together, this analysis contributes towards assessing the feasibility of NFB as treatment for patients with dementia, leading to the determination that electroencephalography (EEG) NFB with peak alpha or theta brainwave protocols may be the best option.