[Revision of §64 of the German Penal Code from a psychiatric perspective-Position paper of a task force of the German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics]. / Neuregelung des § 64 StGB aus psychiatrischer Sicht ­ Positionspapier einer Task-Force der DGPPN.

In Germany every second offence occasioning bodily harm and every fourth sexual offence occur under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Untreated substance use disorders are a risk factor for further offences. The §64 of the German Penal Code (StGB) regulates the commitment of offenders to a Forensic addiction treatment unit as a result of an addiction to excessive consummation of intoxicating substances. The previous regulation has come under criticism because too many patients are committed, the sentence is often given to the wrong persons, the treatment is often terminated without success and the sentence consumes to many resources. From a psychiatric perspective the reform of commitment to a Forensic addiction treatment unit (§64 StGB) must fulfil the principles of medical ethics, in particular the respect for the autonomy of the patient, the principle of distributional justice and the code of medical professional ethics. The commitment according to §64 must be restricted to the treatment of people with a clinically relevant substance use disorder. From a psychiatric perspective, decisive for the prospect of success are the willingness to be treated and self-determination for admission to the clinic. In order to release the treatment from the extrinsic influences of the enforcement law, on admission to treatment a sufficient amount of the sentence should have already been served that the commitment only serves the purpose of the treatment and resocialization, so that the risk of further substance-related offences is reduced. The legal term "Entziehungsanstalt" should be replaced by "Forensic Clinic for Dependancy Diseases".

Autoantibodies to serotonin in serum of patients with psychiatric disorders.

Antibodies to serotonin in serum were investigated by ELISA in patients with paranoid schizophrenia (N=27), schizoaffective psychosis (N=38), depression (N=67), Alzheimer's disease (N=21), chronic alcoholism (N=43), rheumatoid arthritis (N=25), and multiple sclerosis (N=16), and in healthy volunteers (N=60). Increased antibody reactivity to serotonin was found in schizoaffective psychosis, chronic alcoholism, and rheumatoid arthritis. Decreased antibody reactivity to serotonin was found in multiple sclerosis and depression. These anti-serotonin antibodies belong to the class of so-called natural autoantibodies. Alterations of these natural autoantibodies could indicate a disturbance to the immune system. It is possible that these antibodies could also influence receptor function. Autoantibodies to neurotransmitters in a wide spectrum of psychiatric disorders have not previously been reported.