About 15 million people in Germany suffer from hearing disorders. Among the elderly, hearing loss is the most frequently impaired sensory perception. But even children and newborns can suffer from hearing loss, such as inner ear deafness.
About four million people in Germany suffer from cardiac insufficiency. One characteristic of the disease is the stiffening of the heart muscle because connective tissue cells are deposited, the so-called fibrosis.
Diseases that affect fewer than one in 2,000 people are considered rare. They are often chronic, have severe courses and carry the risk of permanent organ damage and deterioration for patients. More than 7,000 rare diseases are currently known to medicine.
What are the neural computations underlying social behaviour in groups? How are multi-modal cues integrated to control and switch between courtship and aggression? How does sensory processing adapt in big crowds to target the behaviourof individual members of the group?
The conventional detection of proteins by imaging employs fluorophores or antibodies directed at individual proteins. However, this methodology cannot be upscaled and employed in a high-throughput omics approach.
eHealth – the use of digital technologies in the treatment and care of patients – plays a central role for Europe and its member states. eHealth technologies offer significant opportunities for the prevention, treatment and management of diseases, especially in ageing societies. At the same time, it could help contain rising costs for the expanding use of health services.