Procedures for Sample Acquisition and Distribution for The Human Brain Collection Core
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Depression, Schizophrenia, Major Depression Disorder (MDD), Psychiatric, Bipolar Disorder |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology, Pulmonary / Respiratory Diseases |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | Any - 120 |
| Updated: | 4/6/2019 |
| Start Date: | April 10, 2019 |
| End Date: | January 1, 2050 |
| Contact: | Stefano Marenco, M.D. |
| Email: | marencos@mail.nih.gov |
| Phone: | (301) 435-8964 |
Background:
The Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) collects brain and other tissues. They get these from
deceased people who may or may not have had psychiatric disorders. The next of kin gives
permission for researchers to get the tissues. Researchers want to collect medical details of
people whose brains are donated. They also want to use the donated tissue to study brain
chemistry and structure. This could lead to better treatments for mental illness.
Objective:
To create a collection of human brain tissue to learn about the causes and mechanisms of
mental disorders.
Eligibility:
People willing to donate their deceased relative s brain tissue. The deceased person could
not have had any of the following:
Severe mental retardation
Long-lasting seizure disorder
Infections that affect the brain
Decomposition
Brain damage
Being on a respirator for more than 12 hours
Major sepsis
Serious renal or hepatic disease
Certain dementias and degenerative diseases
Design:
Medical Examiner s Offices will screen donors who have recently died. Some others will be
screened by hospitals or funeral homes.
Participants will be the next of kin. They will give consent for HBCC to obtain brain tissue
from the deceased person. The tissue will be frozen for future research.
Participants will have a 30-minute phone call. They will answer questions about the deceased
person s medical and psychiatric conditions. They will answer questions about the person s
use of medicines and drugs.
Participants will be contacted by a social worker. They will be asked for permission to
access the deceased person s medical records.
The Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) collects brain and other tissues. They get these from
deceased people who may or may not have had psychiatric disorders. The next of kin gives
permission for researchers to get the tissues. Researchers want to collect medical details of
people whose brains are donated. They also want to use the donated tissue to study brain
chemistry and structure. This could lead to better treatments for mental illness.
Objective:
To create a collection of human brain tissue to learn about the causes and mechanisms of
mental disorders.
Eligibility:
People willing to donate their deceased relative s brain tissue. The deceased person could
not have had any of the following:
Severe mental retardation
Long-lasting seizure disorder
Infections that affect the brain
Decomposition
Brain damage
Being on a respirator for more than 12 hours
Major sepsis
Serious renal or hepatic disease
Certain dementias and degenerative diseases
Design:
Medical Examiner s Offices will screen donors who have recently died. Some others will be
screened by hospitals or funeral homes.
Participants will be the next of kin. They will give consent for HBCC to obtain brain tissue
from the deceased person. The tissue will be frozen for future research.
Participants will have a 30-minute phone call. They will answer questions about the deceased
person s medical and psychiatric conditions. They will answer questions about the person s
use of medicines and drugs.
Participants will be contacted by a social worker. They will be asked for permission to
access the deceased person s medical records.
Objective: The mission of Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) is to gain insight into the
causes and mechanisms of mental disorders.
Study Population: To be able to conduct this research, we obtain brain and other tissues from
deceased individuals with and without psychiatric disorders.
Study Design: This protocol provides the ethical and scientific framework for tissue
donations through referrals from Offices of the Chief Medical Examiners, hospitals or funeral
homes. The next of kin are contacted to give permission for brain donation from the deceased.
Once the tissue is obtained, it is frozen, catalogued and processed for distribution to other
researchers and for in-house analysis. The HBCC dissects specific brain tissues based on
request. All collaborations are subject to approval by an oversight committee. Currently,
HBCC can leverage over 1,000 brains from a variety of psychiatric disorders and
non-psychiatric subjects.
Outcome measures: Outcomes vary with specific collaborations, but include characterization of
DNA, RNA, protein and other brain constituents that provide unique information at the
molecular level. The data thus obtained are expected to provide new insights into brain
physiology and the molecular pathology of psychiatric disorders, possibly leading to the
identification of new therapeutic targets.
causes and mechanisms of mental disorders.
Study Population: To be able to conduct this research, we obtain brain and other tissues from
deceased individuals with and without psychiatric disorders.
Study Design: This protocol provides the ethical and scientific framework for tissue
donations through referrals from Offices of the Chief Medical Examiners, hospitals or funeral
homes. The next of kin are contacted to give permission for brain donation from the deceased.
Once the tissue is obtained, it is frozen, catalogued and processed for distribution to other
researchers and for in-house analysis. The HBCC dissects specific brain tissues based on
request. All collaborations are subject to approval by an oversight committee. Currently,
HBCC can leverage over 1,000 brains from a variety of psychiatric disorders and
non-psychiatric subjects.
Outcome measures: Outcomes vary with specific collaborations, but include characterization of
DNA, RNA, protein and other brain constituents that provide unique information at the
molecular level. The data thus obtained are expected to provide new insights into brain
physiology and the molecular pathology of psychiatric disorders, possibly leading to the
identification of new therapeutic targets.
- INCLUSION CRITERIA:
Brain tissue is needed from individuals suffering from a variety of neuropsychiatric
disorders, including schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, suicide, bipolar disorder,
depression, and substance use disorders (cocaine, alcohol, heroin or the like). In
addition, brains from individuals without a history of neuropsychiatric disease will be
needed as controls.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
An assessment is carried out on the information available from the referral source
(generally a Medical Examiner s Office) prior to obtaining consent. This information is
usually very succinct, indicating how the decedent was found and, if known, whether they
had some psychiatric or obvious medical history. The following cases will be
excluded from collection:
- Severe mental retardation.
- Well documented, long lasting seizure disorder.
- Infections known to affect the brain such as syphilis, tuberculosis, with the
exception of HIV infection.
- The body is decomposed. We consider collecting the brain up to three days after death.
- There is obvious damage to the brain by closed head injury or other trauma (gunshot
wound, fall, etc.).
- There are brain infarcts, hemorrhages, tumors, stroke, or other brain lesions that
destroy the normal brain structure.
- The patient has been maintained on a respirator (ventilator) for more than 12 hours in
the period immediately prior to death.
- Major sepsis.
- Serious renal or hepatic disease.
- Multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer s disease and other dementias and degenerative
diseases.
- Known infection with Hepatitis C
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