The present invention relates to novel carboxamide compounds and their use as a medicament. The carboxamide compounds are inhibitors of calpain (calcium dependant cysteine proteases). The invention therefore also relates to the use of these carboxamide compounds for treating a disorder associated with an elevated calpain activity and to a method for the therapeutic and/or prophylactic treatment by administering an effective amount of at least one of these carboxamide compounds.The carboxamide compounds are compounds of the general formula I in which W—R2 is selected from and R1, R2, R3a, R3b, Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, X, Q, m, k, Rw and Rw* have the meanings mentioned in the claims, the tautomers thereof and the pharmaceutically suitable salts thereof. Of these compounds those are preferred wherein Y1, Y2, Y3 and Y4 are CRy, or one or two of the variables Y1 to Y4 are a nitrogen atom and the remaining variables are CRy, wherein the radicals Ry may be identical or different and have the meanings mentionend in the claims.