Education🎓
Dr. Karl Bechter began his medical career in neurology before transitioning to psychiatry at the University of Ulm. His early scientific work was influenced by collaborations with virologist Rudolf Rott at the University of Gießen, focusing on the role of Borna Disease Virus (BDV) in psychiatric disorders.
💼Work Experience
Dr. Bechter’s work primarily centers on exploring BDV infection’s impact on psychiatric conditions, such as severe depression and psychosis. Over several decades, he led extensive sero-epidemiological studies, involving more than 10,000 samples, and conducted groundbreaking research into mild neuroinflammation and autoimmune triggers in psychiatric patients. He also developed innovative treatments like cerebrospinal fluid filtration (CSFF) for therapy-resistant psychiatric patients.
🛠️Skills
Dr. Bechter is highly skilled in clinical psychiatry, neuroimmunology, neuroimaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. He also possesses deep expertise in experimental treatments for psychiatric disorders, notably pioneering immune-modulatory treatments like CSFF. His innovative work on mild neuroinflammation has helped shape modern neuropsychiatry.
🏆Awards and Honors
Dr. Bechter is highly skilled in clinical psychiatry, neuroimmunology, neuroimaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. He also possesses deep expertise in experimental treatments for psychiatric disorders, notably pioneering immune-modulatory treatments like CSFF. His innovative work on mild neuroinflammation has helped shape modern neuropsychiatry.
🌐 Memberships
Dr. Bechter has been an active participant in scientific communities, collaborating with leading virologists and psychiatrists from institutions like the University of Gießen, Freiburg, and Ulm. He has also contributed to international consensus projects, such as the recently established category of Autoimmune Psychosis (AP).
👩🏫 Teaching and Mentorship
As an accomplished academic, Dr. Bechter has taught numerous students at the University of Ulm. His unique expertise in neuroinflammation, autoimmune encephalitis, and psychiatric disorders has contributed to shaping new generations of psychiatrists and researchers.
Research Focus 🔬
📖Publications :
- HSV-1 and Cellular miRNAs in CSF-Derived Exosomes as Diagnostically Relevant Biomarkers for Neuroinflammation
🗓️ 2024-07-17
📰 Cells
DOI: 10.3390/cells13141208
🔬 Topic: Neuroinflammation biomarkers in CSF-derived exosomes.
- Old and New Biomarkers for Infection, Inflammation, and Autoimmunity in Treatment-Resistant Affective and Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders
🗓️ 2022-02-28
📰 Pharmaceuticals
DOI: 10.3390/ph15030299
🔬 Topic: Biomarkers for infection and autoimmunity in resistant psychiatric disorders.
- Immunological Causes of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Is It Time for the Concept of an “Autoimmune OCD” Subtype?
🗓️ 2022-01-10
📰 Translational Psychiatry
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01700-4
🧠 Topic: Autoimmune causes of OCD.
- Alteration of NMDA Receptor Trafficking as a Cellular Hallmark of Psychosis
🗓️ 2021-08-30
📰 Translational Psychiatry
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01549-7
🔬 Topic: NMDA receptor involvement in psychosis.
- Upregulation of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 Levels in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
🗓️ 2021-06
📰 Diagnostics
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11071134
🧠 Topic: Inflammatory markers in schizophrenia.
- Diagnosing Organic Causes of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Findings from a One-Year Cohort of the Freiburg Diagnostic Protocol in Psychosis (FDPP)
🗓️ 2020-09
📰 Diagnostics
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10090691
🔬 Topic: Organic causes of schizophrenia.