The event-related potential (ERP) is considered as one of the most effective methods to study and analyze objectively human mental activity based on nerve electrophysiology. At present, ERP is not only used in the study of lie detection, but also in the clinical medicine for the cognitive assessment on patients with cerebrovascular disease, dementia or traumatic brain injury and auxiliary diagnosis of mental illness. With the further development of ERP detection technology, it would have a wider application prospect in the field of forensic medicine.
Evoked Potentials/physiology* ; Forensic Medicine/trends* ; Humans

Pulmonary thromboembolism （PTE）, which is caused by detachment of venous thrombosis, is a common cause of sudden death in forensic practice. In the cases which die of PTE after trauma or die of PTE during non-thrombosis disease hospitalization, forensic pathologists are required to analyze the time sequence between trauma or medical practice and venous thrombosis, and then analyze their causal relationship. This review summarizes the history of thrombus age estimation and recent advances in forensic medicine, and then gives a brief outlook for future research to provide reference for forensic identification of PTE and guide follow-up studies.
Age Determination by Skeleton ; Death, Sudden ; Forensic Medicine ; Forensic Pathology/trends* ; Humans ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Venous Thrombosis

With the development of new technologies, such as whole genome sequencing and big data, many countries have constructed large cohorts as strategic resources for precision medicine study. Related studies have significantly promoted research progress in many fields, such as medicine and biology, creating the genetic testing industry. In the forensic field, characterization technologies for features, such as biogeographic ancestry, genetic genealogy and physical appearance have emerged and developed rapidly. Compared with traditional forensic DNA technology, the new technology can search for characteristics and provide clues, quickly becoming an important means to solve difficult cases such as cold cases and accumulated cases. This paper briefly reviews the current status of the construction of large cohorts at home and abroad, and the research progress of forensic molecular phenotyping in the context of precision medicine in the context of precision medicine.
DNA/genetics* ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Forensic Genetics ; Forensic Medicine/trends* ; Genetic Markers ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Precision Medicine

China ; Expert Testimony/trends* ; Forensic Medicine/organization & administration* ; Humans ; Judicial Role ; Organization and Administration ; Quality Control

Individual response to drugs, toxicants, environmental chemicals and allergens varies with genotype. Some respond well to these substances without significant consequences, while others may respond strongly with severe consequences and even death. Toxicogenetics and toxicogenomics as well as pharmacogenetics explain the genetic basis for the variations of individual response to toxicants by sequencing the human genome and large-scale identification of genome polymorphism. The new disciplines will provide a new route for forensic specialists to determine the cause of death.
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System/genetics* ; Drug Hypersensitivity/genetics* ; Forensic Medicine ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/genetics* ; Genome, Human ; Humans ; Pharmacogenetics/trends* ; Pharmacokinetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Toxicogenetics/trends*

The Z-drugs (zolpidem, zopiclone, and zaleplon), as the innovative hypnotics, have an improvement over the traditional benzodiazepines in the management of insomnia. Z-drugs have significant hypnotic effects by reducing sleep latency and improving sleep quality, though duration of sleep may not be significantly increased. As benzodiazepines, Z-drugs exert their effects through increasing the transmission of γ-aminobutyric acid. Z-drugs overdose are less likely to be fatal, more likely would result in poisoning. Z-drugs can be detected in blood, urine, saliva, and other postmortem specimens through liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques. Zolpidem and zaleplon exhibit significant postmortem redistribution. Z-drugs have improved pharmacokinetic profiles, but incidence of neuropsychiatric sequelae, poisoning, and death may prove to be similar to the other hypnotics. This review focuses on the pharmacology and toxicology of Z-drugs with respect to their adverse effect profile and toxicity and toxicology data in the field of forensic medicine.
Acetamides/poisoning* ; Azabicyclo Compounds/poisoning* ; Drug Overdose ; Forensic Medicine/trends* ; Forensic Toxicology/trends* ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives/poisoning* ; Piperazines/poisoning* ; Pyridines/poisoning* ; Pyrimidines/poisoning* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/drug therapy* ; Zolpidem

Metabolomics is a new study, which use chromatography, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), capillary electrophoresis (CE) techniques on the cells, organs and other body fluids and metabolites in samples were isolated, purified and testing, re-use bioinformatics tools on the obtained data are analyzed to obtain one or a set of biomarker information. Based on analysis of the literatures in recent years, metabolomics was summarized from history, concept, advantage, methods, application, difficulties and challenges, journals and books, websites, and its application in forensic medicine was forecasted. As a new branch of global system biology, metabonomics developed rapidly, and its perspective on forensic medicine was feasible and very optimistic.
Biomedical Research/methods* ; Chromatography, Liquid/methods* ; Electronic Data Processing/methods* ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Forensic Toxicology/methods* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Metabolomics/trends* ; Pattern Recognition, Automated/methods* ; Specimen Handling/methods*

The traditional methods of skeletal age estimation mainly include Numeration, Atlas, and Counting scores. In recent years, other new methods were proposed by several scholars. Utilizing image logical characteristics of X-ray film to extrapolate skeletal age is a key means by present forensic medicine workers in evaluating skeletal age. However, there exist some variations when we present the conclusion of skeletal age as an "evidence" directly to the Justice Trial Authority. In order to enhance the accuracy of skeletal age determination, further investigation for appropriate methodology should be undertaken. After a collective study of pertinent domestic and international literatures, we present this review of the research and advancement on skeletal age evaluation methods of X-ray film.
Age Determination by Skeleton/trends* ; Carpal Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Elbow/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Forensic Medicine/methods* ; Hand Bones/diagnostic imaging* ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Male ; Radius/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; X-Ray Film