A peptide derived from neuropeptide Y (SEQ ID NO:22), wherein said peptide is selected from the group consisting of: a peptide consisting of 32 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence KPDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY4-35, SEQ ID NO: 2) or KPDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 27 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence GEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY9-35, SEQ ID NO: 7) or GEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 26 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence EDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY10-35, SEQ ID NO: 8) or EDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 25 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence DAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY11-35, SEQ ID NO: 9) or DAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 23 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence PAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY13-35, SEQ ID NO: 11) or PAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 22 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence AEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY14-35, SEQ ID NO: 12) or AEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 21 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence EDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY15-35, SEQ ID NO: 13) or EDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 20 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence DMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY16-35, SEQ ID NO: 14) or DMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 19 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence MARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY17-35, SEQ ID NO: 15) or MARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 18 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence ARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY18-35, SEQ ID NO: 16) or ARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 17 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence RYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY19-35, SEQ ID NO: 17) or RYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 16 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence YYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY20-35, SEQ ID NO: 18) or YYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, and a peptide consisting of 15 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence YSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY21-35, SEQ ID NO: 19) or YSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, wherein said peptide stimulates neurite outgrowth, and wherein said peptide does not bind to and/or does not activate cognate NPY-receptors Y1, Y2 and/or Y5. a peptide consisting of 32 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence KPDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY4-35, SEQ ID NO: 2) or KPDNPGEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 27 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence GEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY9-35, SEQ ID NO: 7) or GEDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 26 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence EDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY10-35, SEQ ID NO: 8) or EDAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 25 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence DAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY11-35, SEQ ID NO: 9) or DAPAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 23 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence PAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY13-35, SEQ ID NO: 11) or PAEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 22 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence AEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY14-35, SEQ ID NO: 12) or AEDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 21 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence EDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY15-35, SEQ ID NO: 13) or EDMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 20 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence DMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY16-35, SEQ ID NO: 14) or DMARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 19 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence MARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY17-35, SEQ ID NO: 15) or MARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 18 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence ARYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY18-35, SEQ ID NO: 16) or ARYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 17 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence RYYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY19-35, SEQ ID NO: 17) or RYYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, a peptide consisting of 16 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence YYSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY20-35, SEQ ID NO: 18) or YYSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, and a peptide consisting of 15 contiguous amino acid residues having the sequence YSALRHYINLITRQR (NPY21-35, SEQ ID NO: 19) or YSALRHYINLITRQR with 1, 2 or 3 amino acid substitutions, wherein said peptide stimulates neurite outgrowth, and wherein said peptide does not bind to and/or does not activate cognate NPY-receptors Y1, Y2 and/or Y5.