Can you donate a brain?

What is brain donation? Brain donation is different from other organ donation. As an organ donor, you agree to give your organs to other people to help keep them alive. As a brain donor, your brain will be used for research purposes only — it will not be given to another person.

How much does brain donation cost?

When donating as part of a study that a person actively participated in while alive, or by donating to the NIH NeuroBioBank, there is no cost to the family for the donation procedure or the autopsy report. One significant benefit of brain donation often catches families by surprise, which is a sense of solace.

How much does a brain autopsy cost?

It requires a pre-registration. Cost: The brain autopsy costs $850 at Saint Louis University Hospital. If the brain only comes from another hospital, the cost is $520. For the latter option, the brain must be sent to: Department of Pathology, Autopsy Division.

Can I donate just my brain to science?

As a brain donor, your brain will be used for research purposes only — it will not be given to another person. Our scientists use brain tissue donated after death to better understand the causes of and treatment options for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Do they remove your brain during an autopsy?

Throughout the autopsy, the pathologist records everything on a body diagram and in recorded verbal notes. If a complete internal examination is called for, the pathologist removes and dissects the chest, abdominal and pelvic organs, and (if necessary) the brain.

What happens when patients decide to donate their brain to science?

Do they remove your tongue during an autopsy?

Deaths that are related to neck trauma, and others where the circumstances dictate that foul play must be excluded by the autopsy, should always have a layer-by-layer anterior neck dissection performed, with removal of the tongue.

Are autopsies free?

A private autopsy by an outside expert can cost between $3,000 and $5,000. In some cases, there may be an additional charge for the transportation of the body to and from the autopsy facility.

What does no cause of death mean?

If no cause of death is discovered when the report is written, it is usually stated to be 'unascertained' or 'unascertainable'. In general, an unascertainable death would be where the pathologist is unable to establish a cause of death.

How long after death can a brain be donated?

The majority of brain banks require a donation to be received within 72 hours of the donor's death (provided the body has been stored in refrigerated premises) therefore there is unlikely to be a delay to funeral arrangements.

What is a brain autopsy?

A brain autopsy is often the only definitive way to diagnose or confirm certain types of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia.

Can you donate your body to science if you have Alzheimer's?

The truth is that human brain tissue for medical research into dementia is in scarce supply. We can't grow human brains in the lab or take a biopsy from someone's brain to study under the microscope, so it's the real gold standard for understanding what happens in the diseases that cause dementia.