Questions and Answers
Who may authorize a brain donation? Legally, the patient and / or healthcare power of attorney / next of kin can sign the Autopsy & Research Consent Form( page 13). If the patient does not have a spouse, the oldest child is considered next of kin, followed by the next closest blood relative. If there are no blood relatives, a witness can sign the form and must note the relationship. The patient or healthcare power of attorney / next of kin may sign the consent form prior to death, but in most circumstances, it is not legally binding and often requires confirmation( verbal or written) after death. You may wish to research your local state laws on these details. The person performing the brain tissue procurement may require their own additional consent / authorization documentation.
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Can I donate other tissues? Currently, brain tissue is most important for the pathological study of neurodegenerative diseases and for providing a confirmed diagnosis to families. Still, some people who donate their brains also choose to donate other parts of the body( for example, spinal cord or even the entire body). This type of donation would need to be set up through a different program, as CurePSP and Mayo Clinic are only able to support brain donation. Local medical schools and teaching hospitals or a program like the Anatomy Gifts Registry( www. anatomygifts. org) can often offer body donation programs and assist with the process. Some body donation programs will not take a body if a brain has been removed, and we recommend inquiring about program details, as well as other eligibility criteria and steps for body donation, if it is something you are considering.
Note that the donation of brains to science is different from organ donation, which is for the donation of healthy organs to be used in living people( organ transplants). You can be an organ donor, if you and your organs would be eligible for donation and use at the time, and then still donate your brain to science. The logistics for donating both your organs and your brain are more complicated, and we recommend discussing these plans with your family and healthcare team.
I do not have a known brain disease. Can I also donate my brain? Brain banks are also in need of healthy brains to serve as valuable control brains in research studies. It is very important to compare pathological changes in diseased brains with healthy brains. It helps scientists to better understand disease processes and to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Please contact the Mayo Clinic Brain Bank for more information on healthy brain donation. There are other programs that will take donations of healthy control brains, including the Brain Donor Project through the National Institutes of Health. Please note that, at this time, CurePSP cannot provide financial assistance for the donation of healthy brains.
Will it be visibly noticeable that brain donation has been performed? In most cases, only on very close inspection would anyone notice that a brain tissue donation has been performed. The exception would be if the person is bald, but most funeral directors have the skills to cosmetically conceal the incision in the scalp. In most cases, the family can have an open casket service and those viewing the body would not be able to see the scalp incision.
Where is the brain donation performed? If someone passes away in a hospital and if the attending physician has ordered the procedure, then the tissue collection will likely be performed in that hospital. Many people die in their home or in a hospice or long-term care facility. If that is the case, the person’ s body will need to be transported to the place where