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Schizophrenia: A Handbook For FamiliesAppendix IIThe Canadian Brain Tissue Bank As advances continue to be made in research laboratories throughout the world, more and more people are beginning to appreciate the enormous potential of post-mortem human brain tissue research. What the public does not seem to realize, however, is that although promising results are being reported and our understanding of severe neurologic and psychiatric disorders is improving, more significant progress is actually being delayed because of a scarcity of brain tissue donations. The Canadian Brain Tissue Bank was established in 1981 in order to support medical research through the collection, storage, and distribution of brain tissue to interested scientific investigators. Such research is concerned with the causes, treatments and eventual cures for the many psychiatric and neurological disorders affecting so many people today. These include schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, dystonia, epilepsy, among many others. Research over the past decade has shown that the study of human brain tissue is essential to increasing our understanding of how the nervous system functions and consequently in preventing and alleviating these illnesses. Most recently, post-mortem human brain research played a significant role in the development of a genetic test for Huntington's disease and a treatment for Parkinson's disease. Additionally, human brain tissue is necessary because several serious neurologic and psychiatric conditions affect only humans and therefore, animal models are not relevant. For comparative purposes, brain tissue is needed from healthy individuals, as well as from those who died with a neurologic or psychiatric illness. There is also a critical need for relatives of people with genetically inherited disorders to donate their brains after death. Samples of DNA are kept from all tissue to help in future genetic testing. What You Should Know About Brain Donation
How to DonateBecoming a prospective tissue donor is easy. Call the Canadian Brain Tissue Bank at (416) 977-3398. If you prefer, you can obtain a copy of the pamphlet entitled A Gift of Hope - Canadian Brain Tissue Bank and fill out the attached donor card. But first, do the most important thing of all: inform your family that you would like your brain donated to the Brain Bank after death; they will have to do it for you and they must understand why you wish to donate. |
Last Updated: 2003-01-15 |