[Achievements, disappointments and hopes in neurological therapy in the 20th century]

Only in the second half of the 20th century a breakthrough occurred in the traditional neurological therapeutic methods based up to that time mainly on bromine with valerian extract and vitamins B. Later on in that century several great discoveries were made which improved greatly the effectiveness of the neurological therapy: psychopharmacology which began with the introduction of chlorpromazine and reserpine, the use of corticosteroids for which the Nobel award was given, levodopa introduction for Parkinson's disease, non-steroid antiinflammatory agents and the demonstration of their action mechanism /also Nobel award/, immunotherapy, botulin toxin for the treatment of dystonias and thrombolytic drugs possibly the drugs of the future. The main disappointment is the broad chasm between the progress made in diagnostic methods and the low effectiveness of therapy in strokes, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative neurological diseases. Many problems arose with the introduction of levodopa changing the course and clinical pattern of Parkinson's disease. The problem of our times are the adverse effects of pharmacotherapy. The low effectiveness of the new drugs used in epilepsy is also disappointing. A hope for the future is the new direction in therapy--the use of genes and also the use of monoclonal antibodies and neurotrophic agents. It is to be expected that in the near future medicine will find effective methods for the treatment of malignant neoplasms.