What happens after a brain is donated?

If your family has donated the brain of a loved one, you may know what we’re talking about when we say there is a sense of comfort from that final gift. Some donor families have told us it’s almost as if their loved one lives on by being a part of neuroscience research. We can relate to these sentiments…the feeling is very meaningful.

At the same time, there may be questions about exactly what happens next with that wonderful gift, so here’s a brief explanation of the process.

• Once the brain is received at the brain bank, it is first stored properly to optimize its usefulness for research. Then it undergoes many different kinds of assessments and tests, the most important of which may be neuropathologic study. That’s when scientists work to validate the reported diagnosis and track any other indications that could arise of additional or other brain conditions. Medical records are gathered and consulted and sometimes family members are interviewed. This work is exacting and time consuming. And it’s necessary to be able to accurately categorize – or characterize in scientific speak – the tissue. Scientists need to know precisely what they’re working with.
• At that point, a report called the Summary of Neuropathological Findings is generated, which is shared with the family if requested. It speaks to any diagnosis(es) found in the brain, determines the stage(s) of the disease and the region(s) impacted by it. It can take six to nine months for this to be ready and that’s when the brain is made available to researchers.
• The tissue is then listed in the online portal of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) NeuroBioBank, so that neuroscientists can access it. They enter the details of their study and search through what it currently a collection of 16,000 brains, representing almost any disorder as well as healthy brains – or non-affected controls. An online request is generated, the researcher gets an answer within a couple of business days and only pays shipping – anywhere in the world.
• Finally, while it’s impossible to report back on every study for which a specific brain is used, researchers post their findings on that same site when donated brain tissue is used. Go to the ‘publications’ tab to see what they’re learning.

There is great care taken of this precious tissue by everyone who respectfully handles it. Each brain holds the promise of finding answers that will lead to a healthier future – and we cannot thank you enough for arranging the gift.