The lawyers also argued that medical tests not developed by the time of Noel's 1996 trial might have revealed more about his mental health. It was argued that psychologists and neurologists learned significantly more about Noel's brain damage since his trial, and have established strong connections between his neuropsychological deficit and his aggressive, impulsive behavior. Medical experts diagnosed him with Attention Deficit Disorder, poor abstract thinking skills, mental confusion, and serious visual-motor problems at an early age. When he was 13 years old, experts determined that he had a developmental age of 7. One psychological examiner observed that he was "extremely slow" in processing basic information. At trial, the jury heard that Noel had likely suffered "minimal" brain damage. Medical evidence showing the possibility that he suffers from severe brain abnormalities, were discussed in his appeals and clemency petition.