UKPDSTB General: Brain Bank Bulletin issue 9, page 4


Tissue Bank newsletter	Summer 2008

Back to page 3	On to page 5
Up to the end of 2007, we had collected 205 brains, of which: 192 were from donors with Parkinson’s and related disorders 3 were from donors with other neurological disorders 10 were from ‘control’ donors (people without Parkinson’s or another neurological disorder) 1,112 people had registered with the Tissue Bank by the end of 2007.
Tissue Bank reaches 200 donations The Tissue Bank has now collected over 200 tissue donations and over 1,000 people have registered their wish to donate. This is a fantastic achievement and means that we have already been able to supply tissue to over 60 research projects into various aspects of Parkinson’s.
Despite the fact that we have reached this impressive landmark, it is still vitally important that we register more donors and collect more tissue. We are still collecting tissue from those with Parkinson’s at a quicker rate than that from people without Parkinson’s. It is important that we collect more brain tissue from people without Parkinson’s or another neurological condition as most research projects need this ‘control’ tissue to see the differences in the brains of people with Parkinson’s. After each tissue donation, we analyse the tissue to confirm the diagnosis and clinical information we have been given. When we looked at the neuropathological diagnosis and clinical information from the first 126 donations we found a range of diagnoses including:	Parkinson’s disease Parkinson’s disease with dementia Dementia with Lewy bodies Multiple system atrophy (MSA) Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease Dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease Progressive supranuclear palsy and Alzheimer’s disease Young onset Parkinson’s disease Young onset dementia with Lewy bodies Essential tremor Frontal temporal lobar degeneration with motor neurone disease.
We can only provide researchers with the tissue they need to study different aspects of Parkinson’s and related disorders and further their understanding of what happens in the brain as Parkinson’s develops if we continue to receive an ongoing supply of tissue. You can help increase understanding of Parkinson’s by registering with us and by donating your tissue after you die.
Back to page 3	On to page 5

Inside this issue:
Growing Demand for Tissue
New Research	Case Study	200 Donations	The Process
Contact Details