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About the Department of Neurology at University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich
The Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich offers all the options of modern medicine for the diagnostics and conservative treatment of nervous system diseases. The department has unique competence in the treatment of stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, neuromuscular diseases, chronic back pain, chronic headaches and other pathologies. To provide comprehensive medical care, the department has modern diagnostic rooms, a special outpatient clinic, a stroke unit with state-of-the-art technical equipment and an interdisciplinary intensive care unit. The department annually provides treatment to more than 3,500 inpatients and several thousands outpatients. The well-being of patients is in the safe hands of a medical team, consisting of 50 competent doctors. The modern medical facility combines the highest level of medical knowledge, advanced technical equipment, as well as a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Bernhard Hemmer.
The department has accumulated a wealth of experience in the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the nervous system (autoimmune and infectious ones). In this group of neurological disorders, the therapy of multiple sclerosis requires special attention. This pathology is a chronic lesion of the autoimmune nervous system that begins to develop at a young age (more often in women than in men) and eventually leads to severe disability. The causes of the development of multiple sclerosis are still unknown. As of today, there are no methods that could cure the pathology completely, and therefore multiple sclerosis therapy is aimed at alleviating symptoms and preventing the development of severe complications, including decreased visual acuity, difficulty in movement, numbness in the face, upper and lower limbs, as well as body pain. In most cases, multiple sclerosis has a relapsing-remitting course, which means that periods of remission and recurrence alternate. Nevertheless, there are also cases when neurological deficit forms immediately and gradually worsens, without the onset of remission. To make an accurate diagnosis, the department's doctors carry out a clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and spinal cord, as well as a lumbar puncture. The therapeutic protocol for patients with multiple sclerosis includes drug therapy based on the administration of immunomodulators, corticosteroids, interferons, and medications that suppress autoimmune responses. The specialists of the medical facility often perform plasmapheresis, the essence of which is the mechanical removal of toxins, allergens, autoimmune complexes and decay products from the blood. In addition, the treatment regimen is complemented by physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises, massage, health resort treatment.
The department also admits patients with movement disorders. The most common pathologies in this area include Parkinson's disease, tremors, dystonia, and restless legs syndrome. To treat these diseases, the department's doctors have many effective methods – from advanced medicines and botulinum toxin injections to deep brain stimulation. In addition, the department's medical team provides medical care to patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Particular attention is paid to the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington's disease.
The treatment of neurovascular diseases is an integral part of the department's clinical activities. The department's neurologists carry out all modern types of conservative and sparing interventional treatment (in cooperation with the specialists in the field of neuroradiology and neurosurgery) of stroke, deep cerebral vein thrombosis, inflammatory lesions and vascular stenosis of the cerebral vessels. Of particular interest is recanalization therapy for the restoration of the patency of the narrowed vessels of the brain and improvement of blood circulation.
The department's therapeutic offer includes the diagnostics and treatment of tumors of the nervous system. The department's doctors deal with the treatment of primary neoplasms and metastases in the brain and spinal cord. Brain and spinal cord cancer treatment requires a comprehensive approach, since invasive treatment can lead to severe damage to neurological functions, which in turn significantly impairs the patient's quality of life. As in many other types of cancer, patients with nervous system cancer are usually indicated for surgery, which is complemented by chemotherapy and radiation therapy. If the tumor is located in a hard-to-reach place, radiation therapy becomes the main treatment. The health of patients with brain or spinal cord cancer is in the safe hands of a large interdisciplinary team of physicians, consisting of neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuroradiologists, oncologists, radiation therapists and specialists in the field of nuclear medicine. Each treatment regimen is carefully thought out and developed taking into account the individual needs of the patient, his clinical indications.
The department's range of medical services includes the diagnostics and treatment of the following neurological disorders:
- Inflammatory diseases of the nervous system
- Autoimmune inflammatory diseases (with a special focus on the treatment of multiple sclerosis)
- Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Myasthenia gravis
- Infectious diseases of the nervous system, including neuroborreliosis
- Movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases
- Parkinson's disease
- Essential tremor
- Dystonia
- Restless legs syndrome
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Huntington's disease
- Neurovascular disorders
- Stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic one)
- Cerebral venous thrombosis
- Inflammatory processes in the vessels
- Carotid artery stenosis due to atherosclerosis
- Neuro-oncological diseases
- Primary brain tumors (for example, gliomas, CNS lymphomas)
- Metastases of other primary tumors
- Chronic pain
- Chronic back pain
- Chronic headaches
- Diagnostics and treatment of other neurological pathologies
Curriculum vitae
University Education and Postgraduate Training
- 1984 - 1991 Study of Medicine, University of Freiburg.
- 1992 Doctorate.
- 1984 - 1986 Clinical Resident in the Department of Neurology, University of Freiburg.
- 1995 - 1998 Research Fellowship at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA.
- 1984 - 1986 Clinical Resident, Department of Neurology, University of Marburg.
Pedagogical Career
- 2001 - 2003 Assistant in the Department of Neurology, University of Marburg.
- 2004 - 2007 Assistant Professor and Deputy Head of the Department of Neurology, University of Duesseldorf.
- Since 2007 (W3) Professor and Head of the Department of Neurology, University Hospital Rechts der Isar Munich, Technical University of Munich.
- Since 2010 Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Technical University of Munich.
Research Coordinator
- Since 2007 Principal Investigator in a number of clinical trials of drugs against multiple sclerosis (in particular, alemtuzumab, BG12, atacisept).
- Since 2008 Member of the Executive Advisory Board of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society.
- Since 2009 Member of the Advisory Board for several phase II and III studies (in particular, interferon-beta 1b, siponimod, daclizumab, ocrelizumab).
- Since 2009 Member of the Scientific Council of the German Competence Network for Multiple Sclerosis (2009 - 2012), Speaker (2012 - 2016), Secretary (since 2016).
- Since 2012 Member of the Scientific Council of the Munich Block System in Neurology.
- Since 2012 Member of the Executive Board of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (Treasurer (2012 - 2016), Vice President (since 2016)).
- Since 2017 Member of the Executive Board of the EU Consortium for Multiple Sclerosis MultipleMS.
Participation in Editorial Boards and Scientific Societies
- Since 2009 Member of the Editorial Board of the journals Archives of Neurology, Experimental Neurology, Multiple sclerosis Journal.
Awards and Prizes
- 1995 - 1997 Scholarship of the German Research Foundation (postgraduate scholarship).
- 1997 - 1998 Fogarty Scholarship, National Institutes of Health, USA.
- 1998 Langheinrich Prize.
- 2000 Heisenberg Prize of the German Research Foundation.
- 2000 Heinrich Pette Prize of the German Neurological Society.
- 2013 Sobek Research Prize.
Photo of the doctor: (c) Klinikum rechts der Isar der Technischen Universität München