Brain Banking – Bioethical Implications

"Novel biotechnologies like brain banking pose a challenge in neurodegenerative diseases research, being not only a step towards a better understanding for these diseases, but also from a bioethical point of view. Brain banks collect tissue for research purposes from deceased persons suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimes’s disease. In order to improve the quality in this research field, confidentiality and a detailed informed consent are aspects that should be emphasized. Moreover, given the fact that the brain collecting takes place during an autopsy, legal aspects also play an important role, hence a legal frame is also needed. The role of the deceased’s family should also be taken into account, especially when and how they can decide if the autopsy can be performed in the first place. The research participant should sign a detailed informed consent that must remain the research basis to which extent the collected data should be disclosed. Finally, only a framework of bioethical and legal norms can improve the quality of brain banking research. A comprehensive perspective for brain banking from obtaining, processing, and storage of brain material to bioethical and legal aspects should increase the scarce sapling of brain banking. "