Muriel Lezak papers

Collection

Identifier: 2021-009

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Muriel Lezak papers span the years 1943 to 2019, and consist of drafts of publications, lecture notes, correspondence, research data, neurological assessment tools, records of Dr. Lezak’s professional service, case files, photographs, negatives, and ephemera. The collection documents Dr. Lezak’s work concerning brain damage, including the emotional and social impact on the patient, impacts on the family, experiences of brain damage in conjunction with other health conditions, brain damage associated with sports, and patient rehabilitation. The collection may also be of use to those interested in the field of forensic neuropsychology, as it includes records of Dr. Lezak’s work as an expert witness in legal cases. Finally, researchers interested in Dr. Lezak herself will find ample evidence of her dedication to maintaining a work-life balance, including extensive travel with her husband, Sidney.

The “Publications” series is arranged alphabetically and spans the years 1964 to 2019. It includes drafts of publications, proofs, abstracts, lecture notes and slides, professional correspondence, and limited research data. The “Assessment tools” series is arranged alphabetically and spans the years 1943 to 2009. It contains neuropsychological assessment tools used by Dr. Lezak, including copies of frequently used materials, such as flash cards and testing sheets. The “Professional” series is arranged alphabetically and spans the years 1945 to 2018. It includes certificates, awards, school records, materials from Dr. Lezak’s time on the Committee on Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (of the Institute of Medicine, now the National Academy of Medicine), and records of several court cases in which Dr. Lezak worked to defend her professional reputation. The “Case files” series is arranged alphabetically and spans the years 1961 to 2017. It contains materials created during Dr. Lezak’s work as an expert witness, including handwritten notes, a recorded deposition depicting Dr. Lezak’s testimony, and patient assessment materials, including detailed reports of Dr. Lezak’s findings. Given the nature of these records, this entire series has restricted access and use. The “Travel” series is arranged chronologically and spans the years 1952 to 2006. It depicts Dr. Lezak’s extensive world travels, often to teach or consult. It includes photographs, negatives, correspondence, notes, and ephemera.

Dates

Creation: 1943-2019

Biographical / Historical

Dr. Muriel Lezak was born Muriel Elaine Deutsch in Chicago, Illinois in 1927. She grew up in the Ingleside neighborhood and attended the University of Chicago, where she graduated with a Master of Arts in Human Development in 1949. After graduating, she married Sidney Lezak and the two moved west to Portland. Dr. Lezak began working as a clinical psychologist at the Child Guidance Clinic (now Morrison Child & Family Services) and at Portland State College (now Portland State University). She also taught at Portland State College and the University of Portland, where she later received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1960.

In 1966, Dr. Lezak began working as a psychologist at the Portland Veterans Administration Hospital, where she treated neurology, neurosurgery, and rehabilitation patients. She had been curious about the possible relationship between the brain and behavior in graduate school, and that curiosity only grew as she treated soldiers with brain injuries. She dedicated herself to learning as much as she could about the brain during her rounds.

She was also troubled by the standard practice in neuropsychology at the time, in which patients were only assessed on the basis of a single standard test battery (the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery), which was typically administered by a technician. She felt that the process should be made more individualized, patient-oriented, and humanistic. In the late 1970s, Dr. Lezak formed a support group for the wives of soldiers with traumatic brain injuries, and credited listening to patients’ families for her understanding of how various brain injuries can impact behavior.

Through her work with psychology interns, she discovered that there was no text available that could serve as a guide to practitioners as they conducted neuropsychological exams. In 1976, she published Neuropsychological Assessment. The book quicky became a critical text in the field of neuropsychology and changed the way that neuropsychological assessment is conducted. It has been published in multiple languages and updated with five editions, most recently in 2012.

In addition to her clinical and teaching duties, Dr. Lezak served as an expert witness in legal cases, beginning in the early 1960s. She spoke to the influence brain damage can have on a person’s behavior in criminal cases. In worker’s compensation claims, she attested to the relative ability of injured workers to perform on the job.

In 1985, Dr. Lezak left the VA Hospital and joined the neurology department at Oregon Health & Science University. She also taught courses in neurosurgery and psychiatry, and she retired from OHSU as professor emerita in 2005. Dr. Lezak passed away in October of 2021.

Extent

9.125 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

French

Chinese

Japanese

Additional Description

Abstract

Dr. Muriel Lezak was born Muriel Elaine Deutsch in Chicago, Illinois in 1927. She received her masters degree in human development from the University of Chicago in 1949, and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Portland in 1960. She began working at the Portland Veterans Administration Hospital in 1966. In 1976, she published Neuropsychological Assessment, which quicky became a critical text in the field of neuropsychology.

The Muriel Lezak papers span the years 1943 to 2018, and consist of drafts of publications, lecture notes, correspondence, research data, neurological assessment tools, records of Dr. Lezak’s professional service, case files, photographs, negatives, and ephemera. The collection documents Dr. Lezak’s work concerning brain damage, including the emotional and social impact on the patient, impacts on the family, experiences of brain damage in conjunction with other health conditions, brain damage associated with sports, and patient rehabilitation. The collection may also be of use to those interested in the field of forensic neuropsychology, as it includes records of Dr. Lezak’s work as an expert witness in legal cases.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into five series: 1. Publications, professional correspondence, and research, 2. Assessment tools, 3. Professional service and recognition, 4. Case files [restricted], and 5. Travel.

Digitized materials available

Some records from this collection have been digitized and are available in the OHSU Digital Collections.

Processing Information

During processing, some materials were deaccessioned. Materials were removed from the case files series due to presence of personal health information, and the bulk the material represented. The information in this material is largely preserved in Dr. Lezak’s neuropsychological reports. Other materials removed include a large amount of ephemera from Dr. Lezak’s travels which were out of collection scope, and assessment tools which were added to the library catalog.