Psychiatr Pol
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Main problems that await the modern Polish forensic psychiatry are presented. The most common mistakes made in forensic expertise are discussed and their causes are shown. The need for a change in the manner of teaching forensic psychiatry at an academic, as well as post graduate level to medical students/doctors as well as law officials, has been stressed. ⋯ The clearly defined status of the forensic psychiatric expert gives him a guarantee of legal defence and through this an unbiased position. Giving forensic expertise is not only part of the diagnostics in forensic psychiatry. An even layout of protection, treatment and rehabilitation of psychiatrically ill criminals has to be present in this system.
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A pair of auditory stimuli presented in a 0.5 second interval cause a reduction of the P50 auditory evoked potential (P50 AEP) amplitude after the second stimuli in the pair. In some, but not all studies, a clear deficit of such P50 AEP gating was observed in schizophrenic patients. It was present constantly irrespective of the clinical state. This deficit was also found in first degree relatives of schizophrenic patients. However the results of the studies, as well as their interpretation remain controversial. ⋯ (1) Healthy individuals suppressed the neurophysiologic response to the second pair of auditory stimuli much more than the schizophrenic patients and their healthy families. (2) No difference was seen in the suppression of the response between the schizophrenic patients and their first degree relatives. The results are coherent with the idea of the dysfunction of the P50 gating having endophenotypic traits as far as schizophrenia goes.