Impact

The competence of a society is determined by its ability for active renewal.

 

The Center for Neuronal Regeneration is aware of the social problems of neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic injuries of the central nervous system and delivers perspectives to diminish or avoid the disastrous individual and economical consequences.

Besides the enormous individual suffering of the patients and their families, the costs for treatment and rehabilitation are tremendous and are a high socio-economic burden of the society. More than 500.000 patients suffer from chronic paraplegia solely in the industrial countries. Every year about 40.000 new spinal cord injuries occur in these countries.

If the care needed for paraplegic patients could be reduced by only 10 % due to an improved therapy, the quality of life of the patient could be significantly improved and, on the other hand, the life-long costs for medical treatment and nursing solely in the industrial countries could be reduced by approximately 50-100 Billion Euro. In Germany about 100-200 Million Euro would be saved annually.

Besides the humanitarian responsibility, it is, therefore, a socio-political and economic task of highest priority to promote promising research and development projects in the field of neuronal regeneration.