Dept. of Neurology
Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Klinikum Großhadern
Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich, Germany

Tel. ++ 49 89 7095 3900
Fax ++ 49 89 7095 3677
andreas.straube(at)med.uni-muenchen.de

Further Information: Marie Curie Training Site

Publications

Klinische Schwerpunkte

1. Neurologische Schmerzsyndrome

• Kopfschmerz
• Neuropathische Schmerzen

2. Zentrale Bewegungsstörungen

• Spastik
• Ataxie

Main Research Topics

1. Orientation in space: All actions are based on the control of goal directed movements in space. The influence of visual attention, goal selection, movement prediction and movement planning are investigated in healthy subjects and patients with lesions of the basal ganglia or cerebellum. Eye and hand movements are recorded using infra red oculography, search coil technique and ultrasonic movement analysis system.

2. Cortical plasticity: Own results showing changes in the cortical motor representation in patients with chronic pain syndromes let us start to investigate the central sensory as well as motor representation in patients with chronic pain syndromes using psychophysical methods and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

3. Headache and neuropathic pain: Based on the observation that general inflammatory processes are often followed by headache, we investigated the influence of cytokines and immune cells on headache, especially in primary headache syndromes. The laboratory is equipped with cell culture, RIA and NO measurement and histology.

4. Adult stem cells and bone marrow transplantation: Beside the clinical course and features of complications in bone marrow transplantation, where we could show the important role of adhesion molecules (like VCAM and ICAM) we have become interested in the possible uses of adult stem cells in the treatment of neurological disorders. We use in-vitro as well as in-vivo preparations and follow the question whether stem cells can be helpful in focal or global ischemia, brain injury or global hypoxia.

See also: Research Group A. Straube

Selected Literature

Eye movements and spatial orientation:

- A Straube, W Scheuerer, T Eggert: Unilateral cerebellar lesions affect initiation of smooth pursuit eye movements in humans. Ann Neurol 1997;42:891-898

- A Straube, H Deubel, J Ditterich, T Eggert: Cerebellar lesions impair rapid saccade adaptation. Neurology 2001;57(11):2105-2108

Cortical plasticity:

- P. Krause, A. Straube: Repetitive magnetic and functional electrical stimulation reduce spastic tone increase in patients with spinal cord injury. Clinical Neurophysiol 56 (Suppl. Transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation), 220-225

Pain:

- Empl M, P Sostak, M Breckner, M Riedel, N Müller, R Gruber, S Förderreuther, A Straube: T cell subsets and expression of integrins in peripheral blood of patients with migraine. Cephalalgia 1999; 19:713-717.

- Empl M, Huber S, Erne B, Fuhr P, Straube A, Schaeren-Wiemers N, Steck AJ: TNF-alpha expression in painful and non-painful neuropathies. Neurology 2001; 56:1371-1377

- Empl M, Forderreuther S, Schwarz M, Muller N, Straube A (2003) Soluble interleukin-2 receptors increase during the active periods in cluster headache. Headache 43(1):63-8

- Empl M, Sostak P, Riedel M, Schwarz M, Muller N, Förderreuther S, Straube A: Decreased sTNF-RI in migraine patients? Cephalalgia. 2003;23(1):55-8.

Bone Marrow:

- CS Padovan, TA Yousry, M Schleuning, E Holler, H-J Kolb, A Straube: Neurological and neuroradiological findings in long-term survivors of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: a risk-factor analysis. Ann Neurol (1998) 43:627-633

- CS Padovan, Gerbitz A, Sostak P, Holler E, Ferrara Jlm, Bise K, Straube A: Cerebral involvement in graft-versus-host disease following experimental bone marrow transplantation. Neurology 2001;56:1106-1108

- Sostak P, Padovan CS, Yousry TA, Ledderose G, Kolb HJ, Straube A: Prospective evaluation of neurological complications after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Neurology. 2003;60(5):842-8.

Methods

1) Infrared oculography (IRIS-system, Skalar Delft; AMTECH-system , Heidelberg) with the possibility of real-time processing (UNIX based PC-system) and stimulus presentation using a laser system or fast video graphics

2) 3-dimensional monocular search coil eye movement recordings (Remmel-Lab-system, USA)

3) Motion analysis by a 3-dimensional infrared video system (Elite, BTS, Milano) and 3-dimensional ultrasonic system (Zebris, Elite) with the possibility of on-line correction of the video-graphics.

4) TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation; single, double and rapid stimulation)

5) Immunohistochemistry; Radio-Immune-Assay, cell cultures, in-vivo experiments (Gerbil)

Grants

Deutsche Forschungs Gemeinschaft: "Klinische Forschergruppe" and

Sonderforschungsbereich 462 "Sensorimotor Systems: Biological analysis, modeling and technical applications in medicine."

BMBF-Verbund chronischer Kopfschmerz

DFG: Forschergruppe “Temporale Dynamik bei visuellen Objekt- und Ereignisverarbeitung“

Marie Curie Training Site "Spatial Orientation: Sensorimotor System Rresearch in Humans and Animals" (Start: 1/2001)

Team Members

Oculomotor: Thomas Eggert, PhD; Werner Scheuerer, MD; S. Casana, MD

Headache: Stefanie Förderreuther, MD; Monika Empl, MD; U. Ferrari, MD; P. Sostak, MD, PhD

TMS and motor programming: P. Krause, MD

Bone-Marrow-Transplantation: Claudio Padovan, MD, Petra Sostak, MD, PhD, N. Isele, MD; B. Andergassen, T. Birnbaum, MD

Cooperation with

Z. Kappula, CERN, Paris

AF Fuchs and RF Robinson, Primate Center Seattle, University of Washington, Seattle, USA

H Deubel, Max-Planck-Institute for Experimental Psychology, Munich

H-J. Kolb; Medical Clinic, Großhadern, Munich

E. Holler, Medical Clinic, Regensburg

K. Culmsee, Dept. of Pharmacology, University of Munich