[Dramatic changes in the age structure for medical specialists in the field of mental health].

Background: Over the past 20 years the importance of treatment of people with mental and neurological disorders has greatly increased. Parallel to this development it has become more difficult to attract young physicians to this field. The aim of this study was to examine the development of the number of physicians specialized in the care of patients suffering from neurological, mental and psychosomatic disorders with special consideration of the age structure.

The indirect NMDAR antagonist acamprosate induces postischemic neurologic recovery associated with sustained neuroprotection and neuroregeneration.

Cerebral ischemia stimulates N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) resulting in increased calcium concentration and excitotoxicity. Yet, deactivation of NMDAR failed in clinical studies due to poor preclinical study designs or toxicity of NMDAR antagonists. Acamprosate is an indirect NMDAR antagonist used for patients with chronic alcohol dependence.

The indirect NMDAR inhibitor flupirtine induces sustained post-ischemic recovery, neuroprotection and angioneurogenesis.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activation induces excitotoxicity, contributing to post-stroke brain injury. Hitherto, NMDAR deactivation failed in clinical trials due to insufficient pre-clinical study designs and drug toxicity. Flupirtine is an indirect NMDAR antagonist being used as analgesic in patients.

Retinal nerve fibre layer thinning in patients with clinically isolated optic neuritis and early treatment with interferon-beta.

Background: Optic neuritis is associated with neurodegeneration leading to chronic impairment of visual functions.

Objective: This study investigated whether early treatment with interferon beta (IFN-β) slows retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thinning in clinically isolated optic neuritis.

Methods: Twenty patients with optic neuritis and visual acuity decreased to ≤0.

Flupirtine as neuroprotective add-on therapy in autoimmune optic neuritis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that results in persistent impairment in young adults. During chronic progressive disease stages, there is a strong correlation between neurodegeneration and disability. Current therapies fail to prevent progression of neurological impairment during these disease stages.