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SINGAPORE – The year-old Brain Bank Singapore (BBS) welcomed its first two “deposits” this year, with the first of two brains donated on September 10.
Recovering the brain is not an easy task. The body’s powerhouse, which weighs 1.2 kg on average, must be carefully, and with great respect, removed from the back or top of the dead person’s head. This must be done within 24 to 48 hours to preserve the quality of the brain tissues, and the process takes about an hour.
The person’s skull is replaced before the scalp is sutured. This allows an open casket funeral to take place.
Having a brain bank in Singapore is critical, Dr. Joan Sim, manager of Brain Bank Singapore, told The Straits Times.
“The genetic background of brain tissues supplied by European and American tissue collections is not the same as that of Asian genetics, and this will affect research discoveries and also potentially new drugs that are developed,” said Dr. Sim.
“Having our own local brain bank will allow us to study our own patient cohorts to help understand how Asian genetic backgrounds and the environment interact to determine the characteristics of brain disease among Singaporeans.”
Neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are on the rise.
Dr. Adeline Ng, senior consulting neurologist at the National Institute of Neurosciences, said, “It’s hard to imagine the depth of frustration patients face as they gradually lose control of their bodies and minds.
“Those who sign up as BBS donors give hope to patients and their families that a cure can be found and leave a legacy of better brain health for future generations.”
Currently, there are 71 registered brain donors, of which two have died. Anyone over the age of 21 is eligible for brain donation and there is no upper age limit.
However, donors must not have had any active serious infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and human immunodeficiency virus. Those who die in an accident will also not be eligible to donate if an autopsy is necessary.
The BBS, which was created on November 27 last year, is currently in an early stage of donor recruitment.
The first donor was a woman in her 70s. The donor’s sister said that she had been a blood donor for many years and had decided to donate her organs.
Although her skin and cornea were evaluated as unsuitable for research and transplantation purposes, her brain was deemed feasible.
“It is great to know that I was able to fulfill my sister’s wishes for her organs to be used in a meaningful way, by giving her consent on her behalf for her brain to be donated to BBS for research and medical studies,” her sister told ST.
The brain was recovered in the Procedural Skills Laboratory at Singapore General Hospital. An open casket funeral and cremation were held the next day.
Professor Richard Reynolds, Director of BBS, said: “Having a wake with an open casket is important as it allows family members to pay their respects to the deceased and helps them to cry. Our donors are truly special people and bodies are treated with the utmost respect to ensure that such funeral rites can take place. “
In the BBS, half of the brain is cut into smaller 2 cm by 2 cm blocks and frozen at minus 80 degrees C, while the other half is preserved in a solution and then embedded in paraffin wax for study. .
Brain tissues and cerebrospinal fluid, brain fluid, and spinal cord, can be stored in the freezer for about 10 to 20 years.
Those interested in becoming a donor can visit this website, call 6592 6952 or send an email to [email protected].
Adults over the age of 18 can also choose to donate their organs or any other part of the body for transplantation, education or research purposes after their death through the Medical (Therapy, Education and Research) Act (MTERA).
This is different from the Human Organ Transplantation Act (Hota), which covers all Singaporeans and permanent residents over the age of 21. The Hota allows kidneys, heart, liver and corneas to be removed for transplants if a person dies, unless they have opted out.
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