Diseases

NeuroCure concentrates upon cerebrovascular diseases, neuroinflammation and disorders of network formation, with the prototypical diseases stroke and multiple sclerosis, as well as focal epilepsies and disorders of the central nervous system by mitochondrial dysfunction. These neurological diseases share a large number of pathomechanisms, which means that new synergies are expected in the therapy due to the shared research.

Cerebrovascular Diseases (Stroke)
Neuroinflammation (Multiple Sclerosis)
Developmental Disorders of the Brain (Epilepsy)

Stroke [also cerebrovascular accident, insult, apoplexy]

Strokes are local circulatory disorders in the brain and the related loss of function in nerve activities.
Depending on the duration, scope and localization of the circulatory disorder, this can lead to lasting failure of various functions of the central nervous system (e.g. paralysis, loss of speech, perceptual disorders).

Causes
In around 80% of cases, strokes are caused by narrowing and/or occlusion of blood vessels supplying the brain (ischemic infarct). Less frequently, strokes are triggered by cerebral hemorrhage (haemorrhagic infarct), e.g. due to the bursting of a blood vessel.

Common to both causes is the result that the nerve cells of the affected area of the brain are under-supplied with oxygen. This causes the nerve cells to die off.

Frequency (Epidemiology)
In Germany approx. 262,000 people suffer a stroke every year. With 63,000 deaths a year stroke is the third most frequent cause of death in Germany. (According to estimates of the WHO, globally, 15.3 million people suffer a stroke and 57 million people die of the results, data from 2002). Furthermore, it is the most frequent cause of acquired disabilities in adulthood.
The risk of suffering a stroke increases with age. Around half of all stroke patients in Europe are older than 73. Due to the demographic change, the absolute number of new cases will continue to rise for the next few years.

Symptoms
The symptoms of a stroke can vary in extent depending on scope and localization. Frequent symptoms are impaired vision, dizziness, paralysis, headaches and impaired speech and orientation.
In the event of a suspected case, an emergency doctor should be informed immediately as only a very short timeframe (approx. 4 hours) is available for treatment.

Treatment
Acute patients of an ischemic infarct are given primary care with thrombolytic medicines which are intended to unblock the blood vessel. Patients of a haemorrhagic infarct are first of all treated with draining medicines in order to lower the pressure on the brain. In the event of excessive pressure this can also be carried out by means of an operation. 

So-called stroke units are specialized in the treatment of stroke patients. 

Following acute care, patients must frequently go through intensive and lengthy rehabilitation measures in order to regain the bodily functions impaired by the stroke (paralysis, speech impairments, perception disorders).

Multiple Sclerosis [also encephalomyelitis disseminata]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Within many centers of inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, the myelin sheaths of the axons are broken down by the body's own immune cells. Because the myelin sheaths act as electrical insulation for the axons and are essential for the transmission of electrical impulses, the loss of the myelin sheaths leads to an extremely wide variety of neurological disorders depending on the strength and localization of the centers of inflammation.

Causes
The cause of multiple sclerosis is not yet known.
The geographic differences in frequency suggest the involvement of environmental factors. Disorders of the immune system, infections and genetic causes are discussed as possible causes but there is not yet sufficient evidence for these explanations.

Frequency (Epidemiology)
In addition to epilepsy, multiple sclerosis is one of the most frequent neurological diseases in young adults.
The frequency of the disease varies depending on the geographical location - frequency increases with distance from the equator. In Germany, around 120,000 people are affected by multiple sclerosis. Globally, the number of MS patients is estimated at 2.5 million. Overall, women are affected more frequently than men.

Symptoms
Multiple sclerosis can cause almost every neurological symptom, depending where the centers of inflammation are localized in the central nervous system.
Frequent, yet not specific symptoms, include impaired vision, perception disorders, impaired coordination, impaired speech and paralyses.

Treatment
Multiple sclerosis is not yet curable. With medicines and physiotherapy, however, the progress of the disease and the intensity of the symptoms can be reduced.
Anti-inflammatory (e.g. glucocorticoids) and analgesic medicines are used to alleviate the symptoms. In order to slow down the progress of the disease, medicines are used which suppress (immunosuppressants) or modulate the immune system.
In order to reduce muscle weakness, stiffness of the joints and paralyses, an exercise therapy (e.g. on horseback, watersports, autogenic training, yoga) is often also carried out as a supplement to medical treatment.

Epilepsy

The word epilepsy is used to describe a disease pattern characterized by spontaneously occurring seizures.
The so-called epileptic fit is caused by the synchrone discharging of neuron groups in the brain, which leads to sudden and involuntary muscular convulsions and unusual sensations.

Causes
Epilepsy can have various causes. As well as malformations of the brain, damage to the brain tissue due to lack of oxygen during birth, brain tumors and cranial injuries are regarded as being among the causes. But infections of the brain (encephalitis), metabolic diseases and the abuse of alcohol, drugs or medication can trigger epilepsy. There are, however, also forms of epilepsy the causes of which have not yet been explained.

Frequency (Epidemiology)
Although approx. 5% of all people will suffer a seizure once in their lives, only 0.5 to 1% of the population are believed to have active epilepsy (and therefore regular seizures). In Germany, this is around 400,000 to 800,000 people. The number of new cases per year is strongly dependent on age. Whereas up to 90 out of 100,000 children per year become ill with epilepsy, the number of new cases among adults is 20 per 100,000. Among older people (from 60 years of age) the number of new cases rises again up to 60 per 100,000.
The occurrence of single seizures or febrile convulsions in children is not included in these figures.

Symptoms
In the symptoms of epilepsy, a fundamental distinction is made between focal and generalized forms. In focal seizures, limited areas of the cortex are affected by the synchronized discharging of the nerve cells. The symptoms are restricted to certain regions of the body, depending on the localization of the affected region. A focal seizure can however also secondarily become a generalized seizure.
Generalized seizures cover the whole brain or large areas of both hemispheres simultaneously. Correspondingly, the seizure affects the whole body.
In addition to involuntary muscular convulsions and stereotypical series of movements, sufferers also report impairments of awareness and perception, up to unconsciousness. Often, the approach of a seizure is indicated to the sufferer by a vague feeling, the so-called aura.

Treatment
Epilepsy can be treated with medication depending on form and severity. Approx. 2/3 of patients can be helped with anti-epileptic medicines to lead an almost seizure-free life. In particularly severe cases and in the event of a lack of response to treatment with medicines, surgical intervention may also take place under certain circumstances.