What is a Brain Autopsy?
It is the examination of the brain tissue after death. The brain is preserved and small samples are examined under a microscope by a neuropathologist to determine the disease process. It remains the only reliable means of confirming the specific diagnosis of a dementing illness. Brain autopsies provide a valuable resource for research into the cause of the devastating illnesses that strike the brain, as well as a source of normal brain tissue from “control” cases who did not have dementia. Why is it important? There are two main reasons: To determine the precise cause of a patient’s dementia, and to advance medical research. Autopsy tissue is vital to studies aimed at determining the cause, prevention and cure of dementia. What is the Cost? Patients enrolled in special research protocols receive this service at no cost.
