Germany founded its first research center focused on neurodegenerative diseases on Tuesday. Located in the former capital of Bonn, the institute focuses on helping the some 1 million people in Germany who suffer from dementia. Some 200,000 Germans are diagnosed with such diseases each year.

The institute is the first in Europe to study the entire breadth of dementia-related diseases, according to German Research Minister Annette Schavan.

"We are creating a completely new structure for health research in Germany," she said. "We are using all our scientific and practical knowledge for patients' well-being."

Helping patients

Juergen Ruettgers, premier of the state of North-Rhine Westphalia where the center is located, said he hopes the institute's staff of 600 will help get potential treatments to patients quickly.

"No one knows how best to handle the problems we are facing," he said. "Researchers here are making an important contribution for a human society."

Funded with 66 million euros ($93 million) a year from the federal and state governments, the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases belongs to the Helmholtz Society and will maintain connections with clinics, universities and other institutions throughout Germany, according to director Pierluigi Nicotera.

"The earlier dementia diseases are recognized, the better we can use today's medicine to slow the spread of the disease," Nicotera said, adding that it could take decades for effective dementia treatments to be developed.

More training needed

The research center's opening comes at the same time as criticism from health care researcher Klaus Wingenfeld regarding the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from dementia.

Recent studies have shown that German hospitals are often ill equipped to deal with patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases and that doctors and other care providers do not have common courses of treatment for them, Wingenfeld said on Wednesday.

"Many staff members do not realize until relatively late what state a patient is in and what he needs," Wingenfeld said, calling for additional education of hospital staff to increase awareness of dementia-related illnesses.

sms/dpa/AFP

Editor: Kate Bowen