Günther Deuschl
Present academic and clinical positions:
Professor of Neurology, Chairman of the Department of Neurology
Office Address:
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Department of Neurology
Schittenhelmstr 10, 24105 Kiel, Germany
Special interests: Deep Brain Stimulation Clinical studies, Pathophysiology, Transient global amnesia
Qualifications and vision for the position in the EAN:
I have longstanding experience as a member of executive boards of international and German neurological societies. My first important engagements in leading circles of scientific Societies were in the German Society for Clinical Neurophysiology (1993 – 1997, international delegate), in the International Executive Committee of the Movement Disorder Society (1994 – 1998, member) and the International Federation of Societies for Clinical Neurophysiology (1997-2001, member-at-large). The numerous tasks I was assigned to solve taught me the necessary skills and the responsibilities for the well doing of a large professional society. These tasks included the development of scientific journals, the creation of effective and efficient structures for the given organizations and to implement and conduct modern congresses.
Between 2004 and 2010 I was working as the editor-in-chief of Movement Disorders, a journal with an impact factor of 4.5. During this period I learned that Journals need to be owned by Scientific Societies and that editors on the other hand need independence in all their editorial decisions. It was one of the most enjoyable and scientifically rewarding positions in my scientific career.
2006-2008 I was serving as the President of the German Society for Neurology (DGN) and between 2011 and 2013 as the President of the International Movement Disorder Society (MDS).
With the team of officers I established the new headquarter of the DGN in Berlin and reconstructed the whole infrastructure of the Society with an effective internal organization and a public relation office. First negotiations with politicians began and the organization has grown to more than 7000 members.
The Movement Disorder Society (meanwhile the ‘International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society’) is the leading society for the subspeciality and has a long-standing experience in unifying the specialists in the field. The society is mature and I had the pleasure to interact with these existing structures. Some of the major tasks of my period were to create study groups, scientific working groups dealing with important scientific matters for the field under the name of the society, to establish a new name for the society, to establish a society-specific code of conduct, to develop a rating scale program of MDS-owned rating scales, to found a second journal of the society and a few other topics.
The EAN unifies all European neurologists: This society has a huge potential and the founders of the merger of EFNS/ENS and the committee developing the rules for this new society have wisely determined that the mission of this new society is to take the lead not only in terms of neurological practice and education in Europe but also to influence patient care in Europe, a region which is underway to harmonizing its health systems.
To help developing this society is a true challenge and certainly a task worthwhile to dedicate time to. I decided to run as a candidate for EAN presidency and would be interested to become a member of the team of officers. I am in the position to fulfill the criteria defined by the EFNS/ENS transition task force.
5 most important publications:
Bartsch T, Schonfeld R, Muller FJ, Alfke K, Leplow B, Aldenhoff J, Deuschl G, Koch JM
Focal lesions of human hippocampal CA1 neurons in transient global amnesia impair place memory
2010 Science 2010; 328: 1412-5.
Deuschl G, Schade-Brittinger C, Krack P, Volkmann J, Schafer H, Botzel K, Daniels C, Deutschlander A, Dillmann U, Eisner W, Gruber D, Hamel W, Herzog J, Hilker R, Klebe S, Kloss M, Koy J, Krause M, Kupsch A, Lorenz D, Lorenzl S, Mehdorn HM, Moringlane JR, Oertel W, Pinsker MO, Reichmann H, Reuss A, Schneider GH, Schnitzler A, Steude U, Sturm V, Timmermann L, Tronnier V, Trottenberg T, Wojtecki L, Wolf E, Poewe W, Voges J.
A randomized trial of deep-brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease
2006 N Engl J Med 2006; 355:896-908
Witt K, Daniels C, Reiff J, Krack P, Volkmann J, Pinsker MO, Krause M, Tronnier V, Kloss M, Schnitzler A, Wojtecki L, Botzel K, Danek A, Hilker R, Sturm V, Kupsch A, Karner E, Deuschl G
Neuropsychological and psychiatric changes after deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease: a randomised, multicentre study
2008 Lancet Neurol, 2008. 7(7): p.605-14
Schuepbach WM, Rau J, Knudsen K, Volkmann J, Krack P, Timmermann L, Halbig TD, Hesekamp H, Navarro SM, Meier N, Falk D, Mehdorn M, Paschen S, Maarouf M, Barbe MT, Fink GR, Kupsch A, Gruber D, Schneider GH, Seigneuret E, Kistner A, Chaynes P, Ory-Magne F, Brefel Courbon C, Vesper J, Schnitzler A, Wojtecki L, Houeto JL, Bataille B, Maltete D, Damier P, Raoul S, Sixel-Doering F, Hellwig D, Gharabaghi A, Kruger R, Pinsker MO, Amtage F, Regis JM, Witjas T, Thobois S, Mertens P, Kloss M, Hartmann A, Oertel WH, Post B, Speelman H, Agid Y, Schade-Brittinger C, Deuschl G
Neurostimulation for Parkinson’s disease with early motor complications.
2013 N Engl J Med 368, 610-622
Deuschl G, Agid Y
Subthalamic neurostimulation for Parkinson’s disease with early fluctuations: balancing the risks and benefits
2013 Lancet Neurol 12, 1025-1034
