Since the mids, the research work of Prof. Bechter and his team has been dedicated to basic clinical research, in particular on the etiology of severe psychiatric illnesses, with the hypothesis that infections or autoimmune reactions triggered by infections or immunopathological processes may be the cause of the illnesses. In varying collaborations with researchers from the fields of virology, immunology, biochemistry and neurology, new insights are being gained with the help of neuroimaging and, in particular, laboratory analyses of blood and cerebrospinal fluid cerebrospinal fluid.
Prof Bechter has also worked on theoretical aspects of CSF flow and the resulting pathogenetic processes, based on clinical observations in the context of experimental therapies, e. The hypotheses, on the one hand the "Mild Encephalitis Hypothesis" and on the other hand the "Peripheral CSF Outflow Hypothesis", fit in very well with new findings from other research groups.
These can have an immunostimulant and immunosuppressive effect. The therapy is used after appropriate preliminary findings. For further information on possible inclusion in the study, please contact Prof Bechter.
Further information can also be found in the following study flyer. Study director: Prof. Dr med. Bechter Study staff: K. Bechter, H. Studies currently being carried out are concerned with the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenic and affective psychoses, in particular improved treatment options for therapy-resistant cases of these diagnoses and a new understanding of unexplained pain syndromes in depression, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia as well as personality disorders in connection with the above-mentioned infectious pathogens.
A project is currently being supported by the Margarete Ammon Foundation for the application of new therapy methods in the aforementioned interdisciplinary approach. Summary: The Psychoimmunology Working group aims at improving cerebrospinal fluid CSF diagnostics in severe psychiatric disorders. One focus was to diagnose mild encephalitis ME induced by various infectious agents including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. A longstanding focus project is the search for Borna Disease Virus and its role for human disease presumably psychiatric and neurological syndromes.
